Nanaimo resident Rick Butzelaar bought an electric vehicle less than two months ago and the savings so far have been significant, but he doesn’t have a home charger and a recent bid by BC Hydro to increase public charging rates has him concerned.
The provincial Crown corporation wants to raise rates at public electric vehicle charging stations by 15 per cent from Sept. 1, which the company says would allow it to recover the costs of providing them over 10 years.
When Butzelaar and his partner sold two gas-powered cars and bought an electric Volkswagen, he estimates they saved about $350 in the first month on fuel alone.
While researching electric vehicles, he said he discovered that all chargers aren’t the same, some charging much faster than others, some charging fees by the minute, and some by the amount of power consumed.
BC Hydro says the new rates would vary depending on the type of charger employed. Time-based charges would be between three and 60 cents per minute, and power-based charges from 33 to 44 cents per kilowatt hour. Extended-stay charges would be 40 cents per minute.
The BC Utilities Commission has appointed a panel to consider the July 28 application and is currently accepting public comments.
When Butzelaar found out BC Hydro was seeking a rate increase, he emailed the commission, urging the regulator to deny the company’s “illogical” request because it still wants to charge fees by the minute.
In its submissions to the utilities commission, BC Hydro says the proposed rate hike is “just and reasonable,” and will protect its other customers from the costs of providing power through public charging stations.
BC Hydro notified customers about the proposed rate increase earlier this month, prompting Butzelaar and others to write to the utilities commission, which posted public comment letters this week.
“I do not feel that BC Hydro should be granted a rate increase at their EV chargers at this time. First, they should not be allowed any increase until they change from by the minute to by the (kilowatt hour) charging,” wrote Warren Lemcke of Surrey.
“As I am sure you know, the rate that a vehicle draws electricity from a BC Hydro machine is determined by the vehicle, not the machine.”
Other letters echo Butzelaar and Lemcke’s concerns.
“There should be no problem in charging by the kilowatt hour rather then the minute,” wrote Saul Brudy of Nanaimo.
“BC Hydro already has infrastructure in place where they can read my home meter and charge me for the appropriate amount of kilowatts my home has used.”
“BC Hydro should be providing EV charging at a reduced rate to encourage people to switch (to) EV’s,” her letter says. “BC Hydro should be displaying leadership in encouraging EV ownership by providing non-market prices.”
Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association, said he sometimes uses BC Hydro’s public charging stations for his electric vehicle.
He said he understands that BC Hydro needs to keep up with its own costs.
“But it doesn’t mean we necessarily like to see more costs being put on consumers in B.C.,” he said. “Consumers who are thinking about electric vehicles need as many incentives as possible to make that step.”
He said many people are curious about the costs of electric vehicle ownership, but “range anxiety” remains an issue, with confusion about how long a battery charge will last and how far it can take them.
“It just adds a further stumbling block, I think, in the process of consumers trying to make the decision to, you know, put their toe in the water for an electric vehicle,” he said.
Qualey said the association hasn’t decided on a formal position about the proposed rate hikes, but he said BC Hydro needs to be transparent and communicative to properly educate the public about the need for them.
“Folks can say, ‘geez, yeah, that makes sense. I don’t necessarily want to pay more, but I see where it’s going to help me and the province down the road,’ and they might accept it,” Qualey said.
BC Hydro did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.
The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.
“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.
The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.
But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.
Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.
“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.
“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”
Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.
In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.
Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.
The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.
The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.
Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.
Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.
It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.
Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.
Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:ROOT)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.
No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.
Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.
A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.
The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.
The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:TRZ)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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