Tesla plans to set up seven ‘Superchargers’ in the Maritimes by the end of 2018

Tesla’s Supercharger network is expanding into Canada’s maritime provinces.

Five Supercharger stations are opening in New Brunswick and two in Nova Scotia by the end of 2018.

The stations in Nova Scotia will pop up in Halifax and Truro, while in New Brunswick, they’re arriving in Saint John, Fredericton, Moncton, Edmundston and Woodstock.

The sites are for Tesla vehicles only and can charge an electric vehicle from zero to 80 percent in about 30 minutes, enough to drive about three hours depending on model and conditions.

Tesla estimates the cost of using a Supercharger at $0.20 per kilowatt hour.

Currently, Tesla’s coverage map shows there are no Superchargers in the east coast of Canada, though there are some less powerful connectors of between 8kW and 16kW top power outputs.

In comparison to British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, which all offer various electric car purchasing incentives and infrastructure investments, the Maritime provinces have lagged behind on electric vehicle initiatives.

This month, an initiative led by Nova Scotia Power to install a dozen fast-charging stations across the province was scrapped by the province’s energy regulator.

The level 3 charging stations would have been compatible with all battery electric vehicles.

The regulator stated that the proposed project was not in the best interest of the utility’s ratepayers, since electric vehicle owners are a minority. Detractors have argued, however, that it’s a case of the chicken or the egg; potential electric vehicle owners need to be assured there will be chargers before making a purchase.

The project would’ve cost $884,000 CAD, with half covered by the federal government.

New Brunswick, however, is making up ground. NB Power is in the final stages of installing a 15-charger network, equipped with both level 2 and level 3 chargers.

Source: Tesla Via: Canadian Press