BC is one step closer to achieving an “EV Highway” with the provincial government’s announcement of an investment that will create 44 more electric vehicle charging stations at communities across the province, as well as four in Vancouver. This move has been lauded as a positive next step by the New Car Dealers Association President and CEO, Blair Qualey, who says that the association has been working with the province to encourage and support the adoption of EVs. These lobbying efforts and government investment have been successful, with the result that BC has by far the highest EV adoption rate of any province in Canada.
The province’s plan has suggested fourteen communities will benefit from the charging stations. The program is funding two fast-charging stations each in Coquitlam, Nanaimo, Surrey, Quesnel, Mission, Port Alberni, Summerland, Kitimat and Kelowna, and four fast-charging stations in Vancouver. The program is also funding two fast-charging stations and four Level 2 charging stations in Whistler, as well as three fast-charging stations and one Level 2 charging station in Richmond. Terrace will receive four fast-charging stations while Victoria will receive eight fast-charging stations.
“Where range anxiety was once a significant concern among prospective EV owners, today it is much less so because of announcements like the one we are seeing today that will see more charging options for drivers,” said Qualey.
Key aspects of the CleanBC Program have included incentives on the purchase of new EVs, ongoing education about the latest technology and features across all brands, and policy and funding decisions that have facilitated access to fast charging stations across the province.
“We know that consumers respond to rebates, especially when they know they are achieving an environmental objective, but access to charging where we live, work and drive cannot be overstated,” said Qualey. The goal is to complete the provincial Electric Highway by 2024 and 10,000 public EV charging stations by 2030. These measures are meant to support BC’s ambitious targets for zero-emission vehicles which would see 90 per cent of all new light-duty vehicle sales in the province be ZEVs by 2030—and an ultimate goal of 100 per cent by 2035.
