Calgary’s first fast-charging station for electric vehicles has opened this week at Westhills Towne Centre in southern Alberta, CBC News is reporting. The station features a direct current (DC) charger that delivers 480 volts of electricity to a vehicle, allowing it to fully charge in around 30 minutes.
Getting around #YYC is going to get a whole lot easier for #EV drivers! Today, we launched the Calgary Westhills fast charging station alongside @bc_cea and the @cityofcalgary at 180 Stewart Green SW. Stay tuned for another opening later on! #ABLovesEV @servicesflo pic.twitter.com/Wxqkabmi1Z
— ATCO Electricity (@ATCOElectric) January 7, 2020
The Westhills Towne Centre, which is the first of the four spots set to receive fast-charging stations in Calgary as part of the Peaks to Prairies EV charging network project, also has a Level 2 charger that has an output of 240 volts and takes about two or three hours to charge a vehicle.
According to project spokesperson Jennifer Grebeldinger, there will be 20 Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFC) and Level 2 stations installed throughout the southern Alberta region once the network has been completed:
The network is a collaboration involving the municipal governments of Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, as well as Medicine Hat College and two regional economic development organizations, the Southgrow Regional Initiative and Alberta Southwest Regional Alliance.
The equipment is owned and operated by ATCO, which is powering the stations with electricity entirely from renewable sources.
The network is expected to make it easier for electric vehicle drivers to travel for work and leisure around the whole region.
