Metrolinx removes electric vehicle chargers from GO station parking lots

Citing low demand,Metrolinx has removed its electric vehicle charging stations at GO station parking lots across the GTHA

The provincial transit agency took the 24 chargers out of service on Nov. 21, 2018, ending a pilot program established by the previous Liberal government that wassupposed to run for three years.

"We found low demand for the charging stations, and the program's costs were greater than any revenue," reads a statement on the Metrolinx website.

The Ministry of Transportation says each charging unit generated around $450 in revenue per year, againstan annual operating cost of around $2,000.

The chargers were used less than once per day on average, according to Metrolinx figures.

In 2017, the chargers were used a total of 3,610 times at the 12 stations where they were installed.

• Toronto discourages electric car use by denying on-street chargers, driver says
• Ontario Condo Act a roadblock for electric vehicle owners

Despite those figures and claims that the charging stations were financially unfeasible, the official opposition says the decision will ultimately prove to be a shortsighted one.

"By ripping down electric vehicle charging stations that are already installed, Doug Ford is dragging Ontario backward and burning money," wrote NDP climate change critic Peter Tabuns in a statement.

"This move sucks for drivers, it sucks for people considering buying an electric vehicle, it sucks for the environment, and it's going to suck when we need to pay again to rebuild what Ford is tearing down," he added.

However, a spokesperson from Metrolinx says it was the transit agency, not Ford's government,that made the decision to decommission the chargers.

While the charging units have been removed from the lots, Metrolinx says the underlying infrastructure, including wiring, conduits and mounting units, remains in place.