Killam To Install Nearly 200 EV Chargers In N.S. And N.B.
HALIFAX–If you are one of the thousands of Maritimers who live in an apartment owned by Killam Apartment REIT, it may soon be easier to own an electric vehicle and have a place to charge it.
That’s because a global company that specializes in helping clients transition to cleaner energy just signed a deal to install EV chargers with one of the province’s largest real estate companies and landlords.
Enel X will be installing 438 chargers across 50 properties owned by Killam. Out of the 438 charges, 150 will be in Nova Scotia, 48 in New Brunswick, 168 in Ontario, 46 in Alberta, and 26 in British Columbia.
According to a recent survey funded by IPOANS, 10 percent of all apartment units in Nova Scotia are owned by Killam.
Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program provided more than $730,000 in funding for this deal.
Giovanni Bertolino, head of e-Mobility, Enel X North America, says the company has been doing business in Canada for a while now but this deal with Killam represents a significant milestone.
“This deal with Killam was the first one with a real estate developer and the first one of this size,” said Bertolino.
Having large landlords like Killam install EV chargers is an important step in the transition away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. According to Enel X, more than one-third of Canadians now live in multi-unit dwellings. On top of that, 80 percent of EV owners charge their vehicles at home.
Bertolino says Enel X will be perusing more deals with real estate companies like Killam to “bridge the gap of equality” when it comes to owning an electric vehicle.
“It’s an area we are pursuing actively,” he said. “It’s extremely important providing access to EV charging in most dwellings, apartment buildings, and rental properties.”
“If you don’t have a house with your own garage, it’s extremely important to provide access to charging overnight.”
And these charges and not just “a simple plug,” according to Bertolino. The “JuiceBox” charging station has a software platform that makes it a smart charger. It can be set to charge when electricity rates are cheapest, can manage loads, and owners like Killam can give tenants authorization to use it.
Like many other companies and industries, Enel X saw business slow to a crawl in North America in 2020 as demand for EVs and chargers was halted by the pandemic. But now, says Bertolino, people on this continent are back looking for cleaner energy.
Business has tripled in 2021 and Enel X predicts the market doubling year over year as demand grows.
“Twenty-twenty was a very slow and flat year. The impact of Covid, people not going around, factories shutting down, had a significant impact,” he said.
“Twenty-twenty-one has been a totally different story. We’ve been adding more makes and models available in North America. People have started, again, buying vehicles, and EV’s have become much more popular. We’ve had a hard time with keeping up the demand. This year has been marked by supply chain issues.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].