Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Electric vehicles now have a new place to charge up in Jasper with the opening of the supercharger station on Connaught Drive.
The installation was completed late this fall.
“This was a long-standing project that was initiated in 2020 when council approved the location, and then Tesla went forward with an application to the federal government for funding for EV charging stations,” said Bill Given, chief administrative officer with the Municipality of Jasper.
“They were ultimately successful in their application, and that lead to the installation of the charging station in their current location.”
The station is equipped with 11 DC fast chargers from both Tesla and FLO, but it can support all brands of electric vehicles.
This adds to the electric vehicle charging station behind the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre.
“It enhances the electric vehicle charging capacity in Jasper and obviously makes it very much more public and sort of front and centre for people to see as they come into the community,” Given said.
Users will be charged for using the machines and all electricity costs.
The municipality provided the physical space for the station, which is located across from Nesters Market.
Combined with a new charging station in Edson, the new station in Jasper allows electric vehicles to travel more easily from the Edmonton area.
“With the increase in utilization of electric vehicles and zero-emission vehicles, people are looking to plan their trips around where this charging infrastructure is located,” Given said.
“And obviously, Jasper being on the Yellowhead Highway and a major tourism destination, this is very important infrastructure for our community.”
Given added how this new infrastructure was in alignment with council’s focus on community health and environmental responsibility.
“Altogether, I think it’s a great demonstration of how the municipality can partner with other organizations and move our community forward.”
