B.C. to Spend $30 Million on 500+ New EV Chargers
More than 500 new public charging stations will soon be added to the 5,000+ that are already available across British Columbia thanks a $30 million investment from the province’s Budget 2024.
“We know that British Columbians want to have confidence they will be able to charge up easily when travelling across the province. 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,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
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In a smart move, the CleanBC Go Electric Public Charger Program will be prioritizing 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.
The program will also prioritize applications for locations highly accessible to the public, including community and recreation centres, libraries, highway rest stops and park-and-ride stations.
The province is on track to complete B.C.’s electric highway this summer with coverage along all highways and major roads and also working toward an overall target of 10,000 public charging stations by 2030. B.C. continues to have the highest rate of EV adoption in the country. In 2023, approximately 23 percent of light-duty vehicle sales were EVs, an increase from 18 percent of sales in 2022.
“This $30-million investment will contribute significantly to the continued adoption of EVs in B.C.,” said Robert Sparks, Government Relations Committee chair, Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association. “Availability of charging is a familiar question we hear raised when people are considering buying an electric vehicle. Making EV charging more available, accessible and reliable are critical steps in supporting EV adoption and furthering our Clean BC goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through electrification of transportation.”