Toronto discourages electric car use by denying on-street chargers, driver says

One Torontonian says the city is making it impossible for him to drive the electric car of his dreams.

James Scarrow put a deposit down on a Tesla Model S electric vehicle (EV), but discovered the city won't give him a permit to build a charging station outside his Toronto homenear Broadview and Danforth,because he uses on-street parking.

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Scarrowhoped to run power from his home to the vehicle by going underneath the sidewalk, buthe says the contractors who specialize in installing thechargers told him they couldn't do any work on city property.

Now, Scarrow figures the only way he'd be able to charge an EVovernight is if the city installs its own infrastructure perhaps in the form of cords extending from a neighbourhood hydro pole, he says.

This is going to continue to be something that people want to own ... we have to make sure we have the infrastructure to support it.- Coun. JayeRobinson

"Without a method of home-charging in street parking zones at least on the table I don't see how I can continue with the purchase of an EV. I imagine many others on permit parking feel the same way."

There are currently 53,000 motorists relying on street parking in the city.

Scarrowsays that's frustrating, especially because he's willing to invest (the Model S costs upwards of $75,000) in an environmentally-friendly vehicle, and the city's own green guidelines encourage the use of EVs. The province is also urging motorists to go electric and is offering incentives to make the switch.

Scarrow says so far, Toronto's taking a timid approach to dealing with EVs and needs to speed things up before getting left behind.

"A world-class city? Hardly." he wrote in anemailtoCBCToronto.

Running charging cords across sidewalks a safety risk, city says

City transportation staff say there were some 1,600 electric vehicles registered in the city as of 2016, and an estimated 80 per cent of owners charge at home. It's likely most of those owners have private driveways or garages.

A spokesperson for the city's transportation services division confirmed residents likeScarrowcan't run a power line to the street.

"This would constitute a violation of city bylaws and provincial electrical code regulation, and would be a serious safety hazard," the city's Cheryl San Juan said in anemail.

City pilot project could add public chargers

The city's public works committee did approve a pilot project that will create public charging stations in three downtown wards, and if council approves that at its next meeting, there could soon be a total of 19 stations available. But Scarrowsays that's far short of what the city will need as a "wave" of customers considers buying EVs.

Coun. Jaye Robinson says she understands Scarrow'sfrustration, but the city needs to figure out how much installing and operating stations will cost, and how it should be donework that will be done along with Toronto Hydro during the proposed pilot.

"I don't think we're doing enough. I think we get a bit of a failing grade on this," Robinson said.

However, she says the new chargers will be an improvement and hopes the pilot projectwill lead the way to the city taking a more aggressive approach to the area.

Robinson's ward, Don Valley West, has the highest numbers of EVs, and she says thenumber of purchases appears todouble every year.

"This is going to continue to be something that people want to own ... We have to make sure we have the infrastructure to support it."

The city is also pushing for new condo buildings to include charging stations, although some residents of multi-residential units sayit's a struggle to get condo boards to add them.

City council will vote on whether or not to go ahead the with pilot project at its November meeting. Robinson says the project aligns with the city's sustainability goals, and that she hopes it will pass.