It is now easier for British Columbians to buy and install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at home and work with more than $4 million in new CleanBC rebates.
Powell River residents are increasingly embracing EVs, as usage of city-operated charging stations is steadily increasing on an annual basis, according to City of Powell River sustainability planner Ana Lukyanova.
“It’s going up every year,” said Lukyanova. “We are tracking the usage and it’s almost doubling every year in terms of the number of times people use the stations.”
While the city does not have data from ICBC regarding how many electric vehicles are in the area, charging statistics indicate an increasing number of electric vehicles in Powell River.
According to a news release from the province, through CleanBC, it is more affordable and convenient than ever for British Columbians to go electric, said minister of energy, mines and petroleum resources Michelle Mungall.
“With these new rebates for EV charging stations, we’re making it easier to switch to electric vehicles,” she stated.
To help with upfront costs that come with EVs, homeowners can access a $350 provincial rebate to install a level-two charging station in a single-family home. A $2,000 rebate is available for installation of a level-two charging station designed for multiple users in condominiums, apartments and workplaces.
Lukyanova said there is also a limited-time, BC Hydro top-up of $350 for homes so folks can actually receive up to $700.
Starting Thursday, September 26, BC Hydro customers can also apply for the additional, limited-time matching rebate of up to $350 to buy and install EV charging equipment in single-family homes.
“We’re pleased to be working with the province of BC to make at-home charging more accessible to EV owners in BC,” said BC Hydro president and chief executive officer Chris O’Riley. “At-home charging is not only convenient for EV owners, with BC Hydro's low electricity rates; it also offers significant savings over fuelling a gas-powered vehicle.”
To qualify for CleanBC rebates, home and workplace charging stations must be installed, and final documentation submitted, by March 31, 2020.
A level-two charging station is a 240-volt charging station. Lukyanova said a level-one station is a regular 110-volt plug-in and it takes quite a long time to charge an electric vehicle. For people who need to drive more or for work, level two is a faster charging system. She said a level-two system installed in the garage would make for a quicker top-up of an electric vehicle than level one.
Lukyanova said the level-two station needs to be installed by an electrician and in order to make the system work, an actual station is required, which has the hookup to the electric vehicle.
“It’s not just a plug-in,” said Lukyanova. “It’s an on the wall piece of equipment. You need the charging unit to plug into the vehicle.”
The city is currently operating four level-two charging stations, at city hall, the north boat harbour, Powell River Public Library and Powell River Recreation Complex. There is also a level-two charger at Pacific Point Market.
Before the end of the year, there are plans to install a level-three charger at the north boat harbour, which has the capacity to fully charge an EV fully in about half an hour to 40 minutes. Lukyanova said this is ideal for travellers and people in transit.
In terms of housing construction in Powell River, there is an initiative to ensure all new housing has EV charging capacity installed. Lukyanova said this will be brought forward for city council consideration. If done when a house is being constructed, it is a lot less expensive to install during building than retrofitting a residence, she added.
“It’s cheaper to do during construction than as an afterthought because you’re not having to run new wiring,” said Lukyanova. “We’ll be bringing some options to council and we’ll see what their actions will be.”
Powell River is an ideal community for electric vehicle usage because the short distances to travel mitigate “range anxiety.”
“We are fortunate to have everything so close by,” said Lukyanova. “People are not having to drive to work for an hour. It is ideal for electric vehicles.”
Lukyanova said she has received enquiries about charging stations and there is a growing interest in electric vehicles. She said utilization of city charging stations is good and growing rapidly.
Lukyanova said the city has targets in the official community plan to reduce community-wide carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
“Transportation is a huge part of our community footprint,” she added. “It’s about 70 per cent. Anything we can do to reduce is important and transportation is one of the big pieces of achieving that goal.”
According to Powell River EV owner Bill Lytle-McGhee, the initiative by the BC Government to provide financial assistance for installation of level-two EV charging infrastructure at residential and commercial locations goes hand in hand with both the incentives for EV purchase as well as a steady increase in EV use.
“Interestingly enough, level-two charging is not really essential for home-based charging if the EV owner is prepared to plug in overnight to the level-one home outlet,” said Lytle-McGhee. “But it is more convenient sometimes to be able to charge more quickly. That is the primary advantage of increasing levels of charge rate, although some manufacturers caution against too much high-speed charging due to the negative effect on battery life.”
According to a news release from the ministry of energy, mines and petroleum resources, for single-family homes, the cost of buying and installing a charging station can range from $700 to $2,000. Buying and installing a charging station at a multi-unit residential building can range from $2,000 to $12,000.
EV owners can save on fuel costs, about $1,800 every year for the average BC driver. BC has more than 1,700 charging stations around the province.
The Zero-Emission Vehicle Act, passed on May 30, 2019, requires all new light-duty cars and trucks sold in BC to be clean energy vehicles by 2040.
