By Gazette Staff
July 9th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
EV chargers on the streets of Burlington.
A Level 1 EV charger is a basic, portable charging device that comes standard with most electric vehicles (EVs) and plugs into a regular 120-volt household outlet. It’s the slowest charging option, adding only a few miles of range per hour of charging.
A Level 2 EV charger is a type of electric vehicle charging station that uses a 240-volt outlet, similar to those used for electric ovens or clothes dryers. It offers significantly faster charging speeds compared to a Level 1 charger, typically adding 20-40 miles of range per hour. Level 2 chargers are commonly found in homes, workplaces, and public charging locations
A Level 3 EV charger, also known as a DC fast charger, is a high-powered charging station that delivers electricity directly to an electric vehicle’s battery using direct current (DC) at high voltages (typically 480 volts or higher). This allows for significantly faster charging times compared to Level 1 and Level 2 AC chargers, adding up to 250 km of range per hour of charging.
EV chargers were installed at the parking lot south of city hall for Councillors.
EV Charging Fee Options
Three fee options are presented for consideration for City owned EV charging stations. As noted, several municipalities, institutions and businesses have begun to implement a staged charging model by charging a higher hourly rate after a four-hour period to motivate drivers to move their vehicles, generate parking turnover and improve availability of charging stations.
Staff have incorporated this approach into Options 2 and 3.
Option 1 – Business as Usual – Continue to offer free charging at City owned chargers.
There is no change to the operation of City owned EV charging stations where no fees will be introduced.
Benefits: EV owners continue to enjoy free charging at destinations with City owned chargers.
Considerations: The City is currently not recovering any of the costs of owning and operating the EV charging network. Costs are continuing to grow annually. Free charging is resulting in less parking turnover in downtown EV charging stalls. Free charging at City chargers may discourage nearby businesses to install charging stations for the public. There is a sentiment among some residents that providing ‘free’ EV charging is not equitable for those who drive traditional vehicles.
Option 2 – Charge an hourly fee for the City’s charging stations.
Introduce an hourly charging rate at City owned EV charging stations. The proposed rate for Level 2 chargers is $2.00/hour for the first four hours and $5.00/hour thereafter. The proposed rate for Level 3 chargers is $10.00/hour.
Benefits: The revenue collected is projected to partially cover the cost of electricity required to charge vehicles. The supplementary higher rate after four hours of charging is meant to incentivize drivers to move their vehicles after charging. The private sector may also be more inclined to install charging stations on private property as they will no longer be competing with free charging.
Considerations: Introducing a fee may be unpopular with some EV drivers who have become accustomed to free charging. A communication campaign will be required to provide EV drivers adequate notice. The City‘s EV chargers are capable of warning drivers of the increasing charge rate after four hours via email and/or text. In addition, a portion of the EV charging fee (10%) will be paid to ChargePoint to cover their administrative costs.
Option 3 – Free charging for the first four hours for Level 2 EV charging stations
Maintain free charging for the first four hours at City owned Level 2 EV charging stations.
Introduce an hourly charging rate of $5.00 after the fourth hour. Note: this option is not recommended for the Level 3 EV chargers due to their higher operating and replacement costs.
Benefits: This option provides an interim fee structure to transition the public to Option 2 in the future.
Considerations: Charging an hourly fee after the first four hours will help incentivize drivers to move their vehicles after charging, improving parking turnover and increasing the availability of chargers. This option provides some cost recovery for the City for EV charging operations.
Recommendation Details
Approve Option 2 included in the Electric Vehicle Charging Policy and Fee Options report PWS-02-05 to implement a $2.00/hour fee for City owned Level 2 electric vehicle chargers for the first four hours of charging, increasing to $5.00/hour for subsequent charging time;
Approve a fee of $10.00/hour for City owned Level 3 (fast) electric vehicle chargers;
Report back with the necessary amendments to the Rates and Fees bylaw as well as the Parking and Idling bylaw for approval by City Council to implement the fees at a future date; and
Approve the EV Chargers on City Property corporate policy attached as Appendix A to the Electric Vehicle Charging Policy and Fee Options report PWS-02-05.
Staff recommended Option 2 which was to implement a $2.00/hour fee for city owned Level 2 electric vehicle chargers for the first four hours of charging, increasing to $5.00/hour for subsequent charging time, and a fee of $10.00/hour for city owned Level 3 (fast) electric vehicle chargers.
They were to report back to Council by Q4 2025 with the necessary amendments to the Rates and Fees By-law as well as the Parking and Idling By-law for approval by City Council to implement the fees at a future date.
Since adopting its 2014 Community Energy Plan, Burlington has significantly expanded EV charging infrastructure through public and private investment, supporting its goal of becoming a net carbon neutral community by 2050.
Staff found most Ontario municipalities charge $1–$3/hour for Level 2 EV charging, some increase rates after initial hours, and a few offer free charging with parking fees.
To help manage the increasing inventory of City owned EV charging stations, staff have developed an Electric Vehicle Charging Policy to provide guidance on the operation, maintenance, monitoring and reporting of the chargers.
Implications:
The City is facing rising costs for maintenance, repairs, and electricity as its electric vehicle charging infrastructure expands and utilization increases.
Background
In 2014, City Council approved a Community Energy Plan for Burlington that included an action to support electric mobility:
Monitor the electric vehicle market and investigate the feasibility of electric vehicle charging stations at City facilities, including downtown parking lots.
Supporting electric mobility was further strengthened in the 2020 Climate Action Plan where it was identified as a key program area to help achieve the target to be a net carbon neutral community by 2050.
Since the approval of the Community Energy Plan, the City, institutions and private businesses have actively invested in charging infrastructure to help support the adoption of electric vehicles in Burlington as summarized here:
In 2015, two charging stations (four charging heads) were installed for public use in the City’s parking garage.
City staff member explaining the EV charger plans to Council.
In 2018, the City was successful in obtaining funding from the provincial Workplace EV Charging Inventive Program for 10 charging stations (20 charging heads) in downtown parking lots and the Roads, Parks and Forestry Operations Centre (restricted to staff use during weekday working hours).
In 2022, funding was approved by The Atmospheric Fund to support eight charging stations (16 charging heads) for community centre facilities.
Also in 2022, Natural Resources Canada reconsidered a previously denied application, approving funding for 11 charging stations (22 charging heads) plus two Level 3 charging heads, the only Level 3 chargers in our inventory.
The City now has 46 charging stations (88 charging heads) in operation on municipal property with 38 charging stations being available to the public either 24 hours per day or on evenings and weekends, depending on the parking lot. Four additional charging stations (eight charging heads) will be installed in 2025.
From 2021 to 2024, City owned charging stations saw an increase in electrical utilization (kilowatt hours) by nearly 400%. In the same period the number of unique vehicles plugged into the City’s chargers increased by 250% to 4,230. Institutions and private sector entities have also installed publicly available EV chargers. From 2022 to 2025, the total number of publicly available charging stations in Burlington, including City owned chargers, increased by 46%, from 114 to 166.
Industry Scan
Staff reviewed online data for municipal charging fees in 18 municipalities located in southwestern/central Ontario.
Twelve municipalities (67%) charge an hourly charging fee, ranging from $1.00 – $3.00 per hour (for Level 2 chargers). Seven out of 12 (58%) charge in the range of $1.50 – $2.00 per hour.
Five municipalities out of 18 have implemented a secondary charge, meaning a higher hourly rate is applied following a certain number of hours of either free or a lower hourly rate.
Four municipalities offer free charging (but parking fees apply where applicable).
Operational and Lifecycle Costs
The cost of ownership of the City EV charging infrastructure has increased since the inception of the program. The annual cost is approximately $80,000 to operate, which covers electricity, licensing fees (cloud plan), maintenance/repairs and replacements. This does not include staff time required to operate and maintain the stations.
The current asset value of the City’s charging infrastructure is estimated at $1,300,000. The cost of installing a new Level 2 charging station is budgeted at $25,000. The costs for a Level 3 charging station are higher at $50,000, although this could vary depending on the capacity of the Level 3 charger. The costs to repair stations range from $1,000 to $7,000 depending on the severity of the repair.
In 2022, the responsibility to install, operate, maintain and monitor the charging stations was consolidated under the Energy and Emissions staff team. As the EV charging inventory continues to grow, so has the time required to manage the inventory under the existing staff complement.
Downtown Economic Development
One of the impacts of offering free charging at the City’s EV charging stations that is highlighted in the City’s charging data is the disincentive to move a vehicle even after it’s fully charged. Data from the City’s downtown charging stations indicates that vehicles are left plugged in beyond the four-hour maximum time. There is a four-hour limit for charging in the Parking Bylaw but given the level of construction activity in the downtown as well as overall officer capacity, this is currently enforced on a complaint basis.
The City is currently undertaking the Downtown Parking Study. The study will highlight that increasing vehicle turnover is correlated with increasing patronage to downtown businesses and optimizing vehicle turnover will be a recommended objective of any future changes to the Parking and Idling Bylaw. Introducing an EV charging fee is anticipated to improve availability at the City’s EV chargers by motivating drivers to move their vehicle and avoid unnecessary fees.
Achieving Climate Action Objectives
City Council has supported free EV charging at City owned chargers to incentivize EV ownership in Burlington, to help reduce emissions and work towards the target to be a net carbon neutral community by 2050. Staff have been tracking EV ownership data published by the Ministry of Transportation. Since 2019, ownership of battery electric vehicles (full electric) in Burlington has increased by almost 500%. Local EV test drive events with Plug’n Drive have also helped to promote the benefits of electric mobility.
Public Feedback/Opinion
Sustainability staff have been engaging the public to prioritize action areas for the new updated Climate Action Plan to be presented to City Council in Q3 2025. Support for City owned EV charging stations is low compared to other areas such as walking/cycling, transit, the Better Homes Burlington concierge service and sustainable new buildings. Providing free charging is seen to serve a small part of the opulation who can afford electric vehicles and, therefore, is not seen to be equitable.
To help manage the increasing inventory of City owned EV charging stations, staff have developed an EV Chargers on City Property corporate policy (refer to Appendix A) to provide guidance on the operation, maintenance, monitoring and reporting of the chargers. In addition, as reported in the 2023 report on Electric Mobility (EICS-16-23), staff have been assessing options to implement charging fees for the City’s charging stations to help recover costs.
Recommendation Details
Approve Option 2 included in the Electric Vehicle Charging Policy and Fee Options report PWS-02-05 to implement a $2.00/hour fee for City owned Level 2 electric vehicle chargers for the first four hours of charging, increasing to $5.00/hour for subsequent charging time;
Approve a fee of $10.00/hour for City owned Level 3 (fast) electric vehicle chargers;
Report back with the necessary amendments to the Rates and Fees bylaw as well as the Parking and Idling bylaw for approval by City Council to implement the fees at a future date; and
Approve the EV Chargers on City Property corporate policy attached as Appendix A to the Electric Vehicle Charging Policy and Fee Options report PWS-02-05.
Key Dates & Milestones
Pending approval of the recommended option:
Report to amend the Rates and Fees bylaw as well as the Parking and Idling Bylaw: September 2025
Communications campaign to advise EV charging rates: September 2025
Implementation date for introduction of hourly charging fee pending approval: October 2025
Update report one year after implementation: October 2026
Implications
Staff will monitor the rates of usage of the EV charging stations and cost recovery from charging fees and report back in a year from the date of implementation to recommend any necessary changes.
A communications plan will be developed and implemented to engage the community and EV drivers on the new fees, in advance of being introduced.
It is estimated that just over 500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been saved through the utilization of the City’s EV charging stations.
We will circle back later today and report on how Councillors responded to the recommendation and what they sent to the June 15th Council meeting.
Discover more from Burlington Gazette - Local News, Politics, Community
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
If one obtains a map of where the EV chargers clearly not distributed evenly through the community.
If one calculates the total capital and electricity costs to Burlington taxpayers it would shock you.
Staff state EV usage had increased 500%. Can they tell us how many vehicles this represents and how many residents are typically getting the freebie?
Rather than developing a “communication strategy” for privileged few why not just post post it on social media, the city website and have councilors report it.
We are so over governed in this country to the point life has become unaffordable for millions.
I am amazed that our “cash strapped” City, where Councilors continue to seek tax increases well beyond inflation, continue to offer free EV charging!!
There should be enough fees to match the amount of gasoline taxes that go to maintain roads and infrastructure.