A few weeks ago, Electrify Canada (the Great White North version of Electrify America) announced that the company has entered the EV charging market in Saskatchewan. Specifically, the company installed six latest-generation 350 kW charging stalls in Regina, the capital city of the province. If you’ve never been there or heard of the place, and don’t know how to pronounce it, keep in mind that it’s also known as “The City That Rhymes With Fun”.
Some Karens, of course, got mad when they first heard about the slogan this year, but people have been calling it that for decades when the Karens weren’t looking. We at CleanTechnica, on the other hand, have a sense of humor (Should it be spelled “humour” in this case?), so we’re going to keep calling it that.
Jokes and fun aside (BOO!), Electrify Canada did arrive at a big milestone with this station, because it’s the first of its kind in the whole province. It’s not the first DC fast charging station, as there are plenty of them in the southern part of the province (enough to make this resident of impoverished New Mexico jealous), but it’s the company’s first one in the area.
“We are thrilled to expand our network into Saskatchewan and begin the rollout of our next-generation of EV chargers,” said Anthony Lambkin, vice president, operations at Electrify Canada and Electrify America. “The location’s amenities combined with Electrify Canada’s DC fast charging will provide a really convenient experience for customers.”
Located at the Victoria Square Shopping Centre, this new station offers a great place to charge. It’s near popular amenities for both commuting EV drivers and shopping centre customers (Yes, despite being American, I used the “re” spelling for the comfort of our Canadian friends). As with all other Electrify America and Electrify Canada stations, drivers can use Electrify Canada’s 24-hour Customer Contact Center (soory) if anything goes wrong or they need help. It’s also possible to manage charging sessions through the user-friendly Electrify Canada mobile app, and from what I understand, it’s also compatible with the American app.
Another really cool feature is the use of solar canopies over the stations. Toward the cold north end of the Great Plains, it’s important to keep snow and ice off both the stations themselves and drivers trying to get them activated. They obviously don’t provide enough power to cover the charging stations’ needs, but every little bit helps.
Another even cooler thing (this is Canada, after all) this station offers that U.S. stations don’t is Plug & Charge. The Plug & Charge enabled Electrify Canada network currently operates in five provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. EC also has ambitious plans to expand to seven provinces by the end of 2024.
Like Electrify America, Electrify Canada has recently announced plans to incorporate the North American Charging Standard (NACS, or the Tesla plug) connector into the fast charging network for maximum compatibility and convenience.
It’s a bit of a long drive, and I don’t like the cold, so I can’t review the station in person. But, looking at the Plugshare page, it seems to be working pretty well over the last few weeks since it opened. So, the improved station design seems to work well even in cooler weather.
Featured image provided by Electrify Canada.
