Electric Autonomy Canada has recently launched a new design competition, ‘The Electric Fuelling Station of the Future,’ which is seeking inspiring, boundary-breaking concepts that will serve as a blueprint for highway stops in the future that are dedicated exclusively to electric vehicle (EV) charging and that will help reinvigorate the built environment.

EVs are transforming how we move, all while cleaning up our air and climate. With government targets requiring 100 percent of new vehicles sold to be electric by 2035, the transition to EVs is a certainty. While there continue to be many advancements in the design of the vehicles themselves, the charging experience at public locations, especially on highways, has not evolved from the traditional gas station model, specifically when it comes to the entertainment and overall environment available at highway fuelling (charging) stations, where EV drivers can spend anywhere from 10-40 minutes dwell time, depending on their vehicle.

The ask? Submit a winning design for an entirely new roadside oasis for electric vehicles - one where drivers can rest, play, eat, recharge, and more.

Here’s what competition entrants can look forward to:

• An expert jury: Entries will be reviewed by industry heavyweights, including Claire Weisz from WXY, Bruce Kuwabara from KPMB Architects, and Peter Vikar from Local Projects (among others).
• $40,000 in total prizes: The top three designs will be awarded with cash prizes: First prize: $25,000; Second prize: $10,000; and Third prize: $5,000 – all prizes in CAD.
• Submission information: The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2021, and more information can be found on https://designawards.electricautonomy.ca/

The Electric Fuelling Station of the Future is turning to designers, architects, landscape architects, engineers, and cross-disciplinary practitioners, hoping to enlist their help to fuel a fundamental change in our daily transportation habits, as well as to encourage a low carbon future thanks to more inspired and redesigned public fuelling stations.

“With the advancement in government policies, and automakers switching their production away from gasoline engines, it's now certain that our future passenger vehicles will be electric. By encouraging the architectural community, design thinkers, and other innovators to think anew about what EV driving will mean for our future, the goal is that drivers will be able to better understand the benefits of shifting transportation habits and infrastructure to electrification - and get excited about adopting an EV lifestyle.” – Nino Di Cara, Electric Autonomy Founder

Key Competition Details
The competition was launched by Electric Autonomy and presenting sponsor, Parkland, and category leading sponsors, Cadillac, CIBC and Dentons. Registration for the competition is now open, and the deadline to submit an EV charging station design on https://designawards.electricautonomy.ca/is November 15, 2021.

Here’s what the jury is looking for in a winning concept:

• INNOVATIVE CONCEPT: Competition Judges are looking for an innovative approach to the program brief that curates a new experience for EV drivers and their passengers, reinventing the traditional roadway pitstop, and transforming the dwell time into a positive experience.
• DESIGN: Guests should be treated to a novel, visually pleasing experience at every turn.
• SUSTAINABILITY: Proposed concepts should prioritize sustainable materials and building techniques. We are looking for a positive energy strategy that reduces carbon and is implementable today.
• FEASIBILITY: Should there be interest in commissioning a project, design concepts should be feasible, taking weather into account. No levitating car parks please! 

The top three designs will be awarded with cash prizes: First prize: $25,000; Second prize: $10,000; and Third prize: $5,000.