Go Transit decided to remove all of the Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers from their stations as of November 21, 2018. The justification that they provided on their page is "low demand for the charging stations".
This decision is short sighted and regressive. The ability to charge the car at the GO station is very convenient for GO commuters who own EV. Many people who do not have access to private chargers, or they need to drive long distances to and from the station rely on those chargers.
Electric Vehicle category has been the fastest growing category of vehicle sales in Canada, with 8% of all vehicles sold this year. Ontario has seen an explosive growth in this category and is currently leading the trend in Canada amongst all provinces and year-over-year quarterly sales are 166% higher in 2018.
The metrics that Metrolinx is referring to for their decision to uninstall the chargers are not considering the reality of the situation and causing a great deal of inconvenience. The usage of electric vehicles is only going to increase in the foreseeable future, and this action will be a very short-sighted act.
Metrolinx has commited towards a greener future, reducing negative environmental impact, and for providing service that benefits its customers. The decision to remove EV chargers is very regressive and undermines your commitments.
We are requesting GO Transit to not remove the EV charging stations.
