Saint John — In a surprise announcement Friday, Irving Oil tweeted out their plans to partner with Tesla Motors to allow “super charger” charging stations for Tesla electric vehicles at their service stations across Atlantic Canada.
Tesla announced last May it is expanding its super-charger network by 10,000 locations across North America by the end of 2018 to accommodate the rollout of their new more affordable electric vehicle the Model 3. With over 500,000 pre-orders for the car, Tesla has been left scrambling to partner with companies that will allow charging stations on their properties to support the huge influx of new cars that will be on the road in the next 24 months.
“Big Stop locations will be the first to receive the new chargers — we hope that green-minded motorists will have a bite to eat while their car batteries top with power,” said Irving Oil Business Development manager Jeff Matthews.
Next, Irving plans to set up charging areas near apartment complexes and businesses in cities including Halifax, Saint John, Moncton and Charlottetown.
“Most Tesla owners will charge their cars at home, but this may not be possible for people who live in apartments,” continued Matthews. “Super-chargers can recharge your battery to 80 per cent capacity in just 20 to 30 minutes. There will be a kilowatt-per-hour fee of 99.9 cents with most cars having between a 60- to 100-kilowatt battery, depending on the model.”
When asked about rumours that have been circulating regarding the oil magnate having its sights set on purchasing Crown power providers NB Power and Nova Scotia Power, Matthews was reluctant to make any definitive statements, saying only, “Corporate expansions happen all the time.”
Maritime resident Ivy Greenpeace has heard speculation through her super-secret environmental spy network that if the purchase were to take place, “then Irving plans to switch from oil- and coal-burning power stations to a longer-burning option like seal fat and Atlantic Salmon scales — can you imagine?!”
Tesla could not be reached for comment.