Free charging ends at Saskatoon’s city-run EV stations

WATCH: Electric vehicle owners in Saskatoon will soon have to pay to charge up at two of city facilities.

Electric vehicle (EV) owners will soon have to pay to use charging stations at Saskatoon’s Lawson and Lakewood civic centres.

The City of Saskatoon had been covering the cost as part of a pilot project launched in May 2023 to support community EV adoption.

City council recently spent more than an hour discussing how much to charge users.

“I think just the length of this debate really proves the pilot we did have wasn’t created in a way that answers our questions,” said Ward 6 Councillor Jasmine Parker.

Earlier this month, the city’s environment, utilities and corporate services committee recommended a fee of $5.35 per hour, an amount intended to fully recover costs.

The most recent report from city administration concluded the stations cannot operate without financial support from the city. The report outlined five pricing options, with estimated annual subsidies ranging from $4,000 to $21,000. It also found as charging fees increased, usage declined.

Currently, about 44 users access the chargers each month.

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City administration says setting the fee at $5.35 per hour could lead to a significant drop in users, potentially requiring the city to subsidize the service by up to $5,000. It recommended a fee of $3 per hour, aiming to recover some costs, while encouraging continued use. That option would require a higher subsidy, estimated at $8,000 to $11,000 per year.

Most councillors voted in favour of the $5.35 hourly rate.

“I think that’s the best of all scenarios for the EV users and the taxpayers of Saskatoon,” said Ward 9 Councillor Bev Dubois.

“Users should pay for a service, and I’m optimistic the usage would be better than six per cent. So we would get cost recovery,” added Ward 8 Councillor Scott Ford.

Councillor Parker and Ward 7 Councillor Kathrine MacDonald opposed the decision, saying they preferred the $3 option.

“I think for a small subsidy, we can continue to operate in this space and gather data to analyze what the community needs from us,” said Parker.

In the end, council approved the $5.35 per hour fee, which is expected to take effect in the coming months. Council also directed administration to explore options for third-party operators to manage the stations.