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The notice is being sent in partnership with neighbouring regional economic development zones, with an eye to plugging a southern Alberta system into ones in southeastern B.C. and the northern U.S., said MacNaughton.

Five of the charging stations could exist in Calgary at locations enabling longer jaunts outside the city, he said.

“They’d be relatively close to the ring road, providing easy access for people coming in and out of the city,” said MacNaughton.

He conceded demand for such facilities is currently being driven in Calgary by 150 fully electric vehicles, a number calculated two years ago.

But with the cost of the vehicles’ batteries falling, MacNaughton said the forecast is for a flood of them by the early 2020s.

“We want to be in a position that we’re getting ahead of this trend,” he said. “You won’t get more electric vehicles unless you can drive comfortably in the province.”

The fast-charging stations could fuel up an e-vehicle to 80 per cent capacity in under 30 minutes, said MacNaughton, compared to hours at current, often complimentary electric kiosks.

A battery charge at one of the direct current stations would cost about a third of a gasoline fill-up, he said.

“Once you get past the initial vehicle purchase price, they’re actually much cheaper to operate and maintain,” said MacNaughton of e-vehicles.

The city and its partners are also seeking federal green grants that could power the genesis of a wider system, with larger energy companies and electricity generators eventually coming on board, he said.