EV drivers say lack of charging stations on main route to northern Manitoba leaves them stranded

Electric vehicle owners and advocates in Thompson, Man., say the province is ignoring the north with a lack of charging stations and infrastructure along highways. 

Roman Briones moved to Thompson from Winnipeg last year and brought his Tesla with him. 

However, due to a lack of  fast, level 3 charging stations along Highway 6, Briones said the 760-kilometre drive, which should have taken him eight hours, took nearly 30.

"It's a difficult journey because there's no charging stations really along the way. There's none," he said. 

Instead, Briones had to rent a cabin in Grand Rapids and stay overnight so he could charge his car in the yard of a nearby trucking business.

"They have a 240 volt [level 2] so I was able to plug it in and I didn't have to wait like a week [for it to fully charge]," he said. 

Briones said it would take him two or three days to fully charge his car using a standard outlet. 

He's frustrated which the lack of infrastructure that leaves him stranded in the north. 

"I can't visit my my family in Winnipeg because I'm here," he said. "I have to take the plane or a bus ride."

He and others would like to see level 3 charging stations established along Highway 6 and Highway 10 so that electric vehicle owners from Winnipeg or Prince Albert can drive to Thompson without running out of juice.

There are three different types of charging stations for electric cars. 

A level 1 is a standard electrical outlet commonly found in garages, parking lots, and exteriors of homes and businesses. It can take up to 50 hours to fully charge an electric car using one of these outlets, according to the federal government. 

A level 2 is a special electrical outlet: the type on a stove or clothes dryer, for example. They are relatively inexpensive costing just a few thousand dollars to buy and install. It can take between four and 10 hours to charge a car using a level 2. 

However, when travelling  long distances, a level 3 charger is preferably because it will recharge the battery in 25 to 30 minutes.