By Richard Strock
Last summer, an old high school friend invited us to visit her at her home on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Over the past couple of years, we
have explored much of the U.S. with our electric vehicle (EV), driving from Poolesville to San Diego and back twice, and up and down both coasts. We have always felt comfortable doing this, and finding charging stations has never been a concern; however, this was the first time venturing outside the U.S., and Cape Breton Island is almost four thousand square miles of sparsely-populated beauty, bounded on the north and west by the Gulf of St. Lawerence and the Northumberland Strait, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
Our plan was to drive from Poolesville to Calais, Maine, cross the border into Canada, drive east through New Brunswick into Nova Scotia, then north
onto Cape Breton Island and to the home of our host. Our return would take us to the southern tip of Nova Scotia, by ferry to Bar Harbor, Maine, then back
to Poolesville.
We began researching charger availability along our intended routes to and from our destination, and on Cape Breton Island itself. We discovered there
would be few high-speed (DC fast) charging stations along our planned route once we left New Brunswick and entered Nova Scotia. When travelling the U.S., we use Tesla’s Supercharger network exclusively due to their charging speed, reliability, and accessibility, but the closest Tesla Supercharger station to our host’s home was in Aulac, NB, 248 miles from our destination, pushing the practical range of our car.
On Cape Breton Island, we found few DC fast chargers, and no public chargers of any type within a twenty-three-mile driving distance of our host’s home.
Unlike Tesla’s Supercharger stations, which frequently have eight or more charging stalls, other networks often have only one or two charging stalls, which could be in use upon arrival, or worse, inoperative, leaving us with few, if any, charging options.
We contacted our host in Nova Scotia and relayed our concerns. She confirmed there was a standard 120V outlet accessible from her driveway into which we could plug our charge cable. She also put us in touch with a neighbor who owns an EV. The neighbor was quite helpful, telling us of the charging stations she uses in her travels, what phone apps we should install to use various charging networks, and of newly-installed chargers that were not yet open, but that should be by the time of our trip.
In eastern Canada, Irving Oil Ltd offers DC fast at many of their locations. Irving Oil has facilities like those of Sheetz and Royal Farms. Some are
co-located with Tesla Superchargers, but Irving is also expanding its own EV charging network.
NS Power is also expanding its DC fast charging network across Nova Scotia. Its chargers are controlled using the ChargeLab app, which we found quite user friendly, providing the address of chargers, maximum available power, charging cost, type of adapter, and charger status (available, in-use, or out of order).
Another provider of DC fast chargers in Canada is FLO. To use these chargers, one must install the FLO app, create an account, and fund the account before charging. We successfully charged twice at a DC fast charger at a restaurant/hotel during our stay.
Thanks to some research, detailed planning, and suggestions from the EV-owning neighbor, we had a wonderful five-day visit with our host who
reveled in showing us around her beautiful island. We encountered no charging issues during our stay.
While visiting, we also discovered that Parks Canada has installed hundreds of Level 2 chargers at many of its national parks, and these are available at no cost to park visitors. When we visited Louisbourg Fortress, we plugged into one of the eight chargers in the visitor parking lot and received about a thirty percent charge increase during our 2½-hour visit.
For our return trip to Maryland, our host suggested driving the scenic southeast coast of Nova Scotia to Yarmouth where we would catch the ferry to
Bar Harbor, Maine. Taking “The Cat,” a 3½-hour ferry ride from Yarmouth to Bar Harbor was quite relaxing and enjoyable. After clearing U.S. customs in Bar Harbor, we opted to take the scenic route home through central Pennsylvania avoiding the chaos and construction delays along the I-95 corridor through New York and New Jersey.
If you’re thinking of trips to other parts of North America, especially Canada, do not be reluctant to drive your EV. The country is beautiful, and our northern neighbors are quite welcoming. Wherever you decide to travel, though, do your research and planning—then enjoy the pollutionfree trips and have a safe drive.