A $30 million program funding more than 500 new public charging stations for zero-emission vehicles will prioritize rural, northern and First Nation communities.
Energy Minister Josie Osborne and Environment Minister George Heyman announced the additional charging stations Wednesday (March 20) in Vancouver as B.C. plugs toward its goal of 10,000 by 2030.
“We know that British Columbians want to have confidence they will be able to charge up easily when travelling across the province,” Osborne said. “That’s why we are working with BC Hydro and other partners to expand B.C.’s public charging infrastructure and build an economy powered by clean, affordable electricity.”
Businesses, not-for-profits, local governments, Indigenous communities, utility or public sector organizations including utilities; health authorities; school districts; universities and Crown corporations can apply for funding to install charging stations on their properties through the new CleanBC Go Electric Public Charger Program.
The program covers up to 50 per cent of equipment and installation costs up to a maximum of $80,000 per fast-charging station. Indigenous-owned fast-charging stations can receive rebates of up to 90 per cent of projects costs to a maximum of $130,000 per station.
Figures from Transport Canada currently show B.C. with 5,279 charging stations spread across 2,012 locations. These figures place B.C. ahead of Ontario’s 9,087 on a per-capita basis, and behind Quebec’s 9,516.
But the current distribution of charging stations favours more urban areas. Wednesday’s announcement will prioritize applications for projects “that fill geographic gaps in B.C.’s charging network, that are located in rural, northern and First Nation communities or that are located in urban areas with high EV uptake.”
Applications for highly accessible locations including community and recreation centres, libraries, highway rest stops and park-and-ride stations will also receive priority.
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A recent UBC study led Bassam Javed, a PhD student at UBC’s Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, highlighted the importance of expanding charging stations in colder regions.
“Cold weather may require more public charging infrastructure deployment,” it reads, adding that more research is needed to fully understand the needs of EV owners in those regions.
Transportation accounts for the largest share of B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions, about 40 per cent. Osborne recently acknowledged B.C. must “make big changes” to cut those numbers.
Heyman echoed this point Wednesday.
“That’s why it’s so important that we make it easier and affordable for people to drive zero-emission vehicles,” he said. “In addition to rebates, we’re investing in the charging infrastructure people and businesses need to switch to low-carbon and more affordable travel options, as we work to build a clean and sustainable future for all British Columbians.”
Government paired Wednesday’s announcement with saying it is on track to complete B.C.’s electric highway in summer 2024 with charging coverage along all highways and major roads.
The announced expansion of the provincial charging network for the almost 130,000 ZEVs in B.C. follows a March 13 decision by the British Columbia Utilities Commission to change energy-based rates for public EV charging service effective June 1.
Drivers of ZEVs will now be charged for the energy they ‘fill’ up rather than the time that they spend charging. BCUC said the new rate structure is designed to fully recover the forecast costs of BC Hydro providing public EV charging service.
BCUC also approved an extended staycharge of 40¢ per minute for BC Hydro’s fast charging stations.