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Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) set aside $20 million to expand the province’s EVC network and, in total, awarded contracts to 24 of 200 applicants. The ministry’s goal was deliver 500 charging stations by March 31 last year, including nearly 300 Level 2 charging stations — which can fully charge an electric vehicle in four to eight hours — and over 200 Level 3 quick charging stations which bring an electric vehicle to an 80% charge in 30 minutes.

Mississauga-based Koben Systems Inc. (KSI) won the bulk of the contract.

KSI is responsible for purchasing, installing and maintaining 337 chargers (193 Level 2 and 144 Level 3 quick chargers) for five years. MTO confirmed in January that a total of 151 of those stations are still missing in action.

According to media reports, permits, land rights and other impediments contributed to the delay. And the government insists that while it is working with KSI, the EVCO chargers are owned and operated by the funding recipients and not by the province.

There have been a lot of delays installing those locations. Some of them still have not been completed and those that have, there are issues with them. Paul Raszewski, Toronto Electric Vehicle Association

However, public and user response has been less patient and frequently frustrated.

“This company really needs to get their act together,” wrote a person on KSI’s Facebook page.

“The 50kW units barely put out 20, if you can get them to start at all. Neither Android nor iOS app work properly, credit card readers on the machines don’t work. The rates are much higher than their competitors for a slower charge. Today, I was stranded in -20 weather, kids in the car, trying to activate the only quick charger in Belleville. Six phone calls later, we are giving up and camping out at a nearby hotel … This is critical infrastructure and it is useless when I need it most.”