Assessment of the Consumer EV Charging Experience in Canada

Author

Steve McCauley; Derek May; Marc Saleh

Organization

Pollution Probe

Published

2022

Summary

This project by Pollution Probe assesses the consumer EV charging experience in Canada. Pollution Probe conducted interviews with more than 20 leading EV experts from both the public and private sectors to gather knowledge and perspectives on the current EV charging landscape. Based on their input and a review of the existing literature, a survey was designed and administered to a large sample of Canadian EV owners to evaluate their opinions on public charging infrastructure. The results of this study aim to identify gaps and weaknesses in the current charging infrastructure, as well as strengths that can be leveraged to maximize the benefits of future deployments.

Survey results are categorized under four categories, namely: charging behaviour, network coverage satisfaction, network service satisfaction, and network payment systems. Among the key findings of the study, EV owners that reside in multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs)are found to rely significantly more on public charging infrastructure than those in single detached homes, with 42% of MURB respondents indicating that more than half of their charging needs are addressed using public infrastructure. Additionally, 37% of survey respondents are not aware of any roaming agreements between network operators, and only about 6% of respondents had a clear understanding of the scope of these agreements. Lastly, EV owners indicate a high degree of interest in time-of-use pricing, smart charging, and bi-directional “vehicle-to-grid” charging technology. These demand management methods should be leveraged to avoid stressing local grids and to optimize existing electricity system infrastructure and capacity.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database