The County of Haliburton…

The County of Haliburton needs more level 2 charging stations in areas where people are parked for many hours or overnight (the County currently has 4 locations with level 2 stations) and level 3 stations for people passing through (to head up to Algonquin Park, for example). Haliburton is a rural area with high volumes of vehicle traffic, particularly in the summer.

Ideally, charging should take place at home to cover daily commutes and activities. Charging infrastructure is most useful in public spaces for people who are travelling outside of their daily commute or activities. This infrastructure should be around small businesses or municipal facilities and parks. People often travel from hundreds of kilometers away to visit the County of Haliburton, as cottagers and visitors, and many experience range anxiety when coming to the area. Currently there is not enough charging infrastructure to eliminate this range anxiety. Haliburton has a few level 2 chargers that may be occupied during peak times and no fast charging stations.

It is challenging for rural areas (municipalities and businesses) to cover the upfront costs of charging infrastructure. The government could help by providing funding to municipalities and businesses for most of the upfront costs.