Barrie Council Accepts Tesla Charger Offer

City to Get Electric Vehicle Charging Stations At No Startup Cost

Barrie is getting a charge out of a recent offer from Tesla. City Council on Monday evening voted to accept the Electric Vehicle maker’s offer of free charging stations to be installed throughout Barrie. This comes after a two-week mulling over by councillors, on an offer from Telsa that would see chargers provided and installed at no startup cost to taxpayers. The chargers could be used, free of charge for the foreseeable future, while staff have been told to keep an eye on hydro costs. The offer was accepted after city staff did some digging into the deal, to make sure more universal chargers weren’t available from other suppliers, as many of the units Tesla is offering are specific to the manufacturer. City Hall will now work with Tesla in choosing sites for the charging stations. Tesla has expressed interest in Centennial Beach and the Collier Street Parkade, in a promotional campaign the company is calling “Destination Charging.” The Barrie BIA has since weighed in on the offer, saying in a letter to City Hall the BIA sees this as a great opportunity for local business, going as far as to offer to help find a sponsor or partner to help cover any future hydro costs.