Canada Approves kWh Billing at Fast-Charging Stations

Image: Electrify America

Charging station owners in Canada may benefit from a recently passed proposal letting them charge customers for electricity used, rather than time spent charging.

Canadian federal agency Measurement Canada has temporarily approved owners of Level 3 DC fast-charging stations to bill users by kWh for energy consumed instead of time charging, as reported on Thursday by Electric Autonomy.

The agency announced the temporary dispensation on February 20, and the move is expected to offer increased flexibility for charging station owners and increased equity for drivers at charging stations.

“Having determined that this dispensation is in the public interest,” said the agency’s acting president Benoit Desforges. “I hereby grant permission to owners of Level 3+ electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to put those meters into service.

“The purpose of this temporary dispensation is to allow owners of Level 3+ EVSE that are already deployed in the Canadian marketplace to use those meters for the purpose of obtaining the basis of a charge for electricity subject to conditions which will help ensure that such charges are based on accurate measurement.”

The news comes alongside recent proposals in which Canada has considered banning new gas car sales starting in 2035, following in the footsteps of U.S. states California, New York and Oregon, and more recently, the 27 countries in the European Union (EU).