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Canada’s largest mobile EV charger coming to region
Teck Resources Limited (Teck), Portable Electric, a Vancouver-based energy technology company, and B.C. based non-profit Community Energy Association are collaborating to deploy Canada’s largest clean energy, mobile electric vehicle (EV) charger to the East Kootenay, starting in the communities of Fernie, Elkford and Sparwood this summer.
Fully funded by a $232,000 contribution from Teck, the mobile charger stems from a community engagement session in 2019 that identified several innovative solutions for an electric mobility future in the East Kootenay. It builds on previous, collaborative efforts to support EV adoption in the region including Accelerate Kootenays, an award-winning initiative of the three Kootenay Regional Districts where the Community Energy Association and Teck were implementation and funding partners.
Portable Electric is building the mobile charger, which will be able to charge multiple EVs simultaneously and be recharged in a number of innovative ways, including through an EV station or solar generation. When deployed across the region this summer, the charger will provide an opportunity to deepen engagement with the public on the future of low-carbon transportation.
The charger will operate in the region year-round, providing the local communities with an opportunity to learn more about the applicability of battery and electric vehicle technology in the region—including its effectiveness in cold weather and in rural communities.
The mobile charger will be the largest all-electric mobile battery and EV charger in Canada, in terms of battery capacity, with two Level 2, seven-kilowatt chargers capable of providing 75 km of range per hour (RPH) of charging to EVs.
The charger will run on sustainable energy, with the capability to be recharged through an EV station, solar generation, or household power.
The mobile unit doesn’t produce any noise or harmful emissions and can be mounted on a trailer, placed in the back of a pickup truck, or mounted inside a van.
The charger will further strengthen Teck’s sustainability efforts in Southeast B.C., which have included establishing a network of EV chargers in the Kootenays through the Accelerate Kootenays initiative and the recent purchase of the SunMine Solar Energy Facility, the first grid-connected solar facility in B.C. and the first built on a reclaimed mine site.
“We are excited to help launch Canada’s largest mobile EV charger in the East Kootenay this summer and support charging infrastructure that will serve residents and tourists. Teck is committed to supporting the transition to a low-carbon future, which aligns with our goal to become carbon neutral across our operations by 2050,” said Jeff Hanman, Vice President, Sustainable Development, Coal, Teck
Mark Rabin, CEO and Founder, of Portable Electric added: “In addition to helping all EV drivers avoid range anxiety, our collaboration with Teck and the Community Energy Association will help drive Canada to a greener economy and put the Kootenays in a leadership position towards electrification. These mobile charging stations are silent, emission-free and can be fully charged on and off-the-grid.”
Megan Lohmann, Head of Community Energy Management, Community Energy Association said, “This is one of several prototypes that came out of the e-mobility visioning session in 2019, and we are pleased to advance it so quickly thanks to this collaboration. The East Kootenays are well-positioned to play a leadership role in the clean energy transition. We have unique regional strengths in our industrial and recreational sectors; leveraging those can put us at a competitive advantage for the low carbon future.”
Lead image: An EV charging station at the Elkford Community Centre, part of Accelerate Kootenay’s award-winning work. e-KNOW file photo
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