Will electric cars in Edmonton get a boost?

Edmonton wantsto steer people toward electric cars but councillors are hearing the citymay have to build the infrastructure before more people sign on.

"I would argue it's not a chicken and the egg question," said Coun. MichaelWalters, whoearlier this yearasked forinformation on how to getmore peopledriving theenvironmentally-friendly vehicles.

"The plug-ins and the charging stations have to come first to really get any momentum."

Edmonton has applied for a$1.2-million federalgrant toinstall204public charging stations. Staff expects to hear this month whether the application was successful.

Staff toldcouncillorson theurban planning committee thatmore charging stations throughout the city could help reduce "range anxiety."

The average electric car can go about 110 to150 kilometres on a charged battery.When it's really cold out,that distance decreases by about 30 per cent.

Installation could start next year

There are three types of charging stations: Level I, which takes about eight hours to boost a battery; Level II, which takes half as long; and Level III, which can provide a full charge in half an hour.

The 200 of the 204public charging stations the city is eyeing would be Level II, which eachcosts about $10,000. Private businesses wouldown, operate and maintain 170 of them. The remaining 30 would belong to the city and sit on its busiest properties.

Four charging stations would be at a Level III. Those stations, eachcosting $100,000,would be located on major routes in and out of Edmonton.

Installationwould start in 2017 and be finished by 2018.

The city plans to match the federal funding, bringing the total price of the projectto $2.4 million.

Councillors on the urban planning committee passed a motion to come up with a way tomonitor the growth of electric carsin Edmonton.

Currently, 160 people in Edmonton own electric cars.

With more stringent measures to cap carbon coming in Alberta and Canada,staff project therecould be 4,000 of the vehicles onEdmonton roads by 2020.

roberta.bell@cbc.ca

@roberta__bell