BC Hydro has approved City of Powell River as a location for a fast-charging station for electric vehicles.
At the Tuesday, June 4, committee of the whole meeting, sustainability planner Ana Lukyanova said there are three types of charging stations for electric vehicles.
The level-one station is the typical household plugin that takes about 20 hours to charge a vehicle fully. Level-two stations provide a full charge in four to eight hours. These are the types of stations currently available at city locations, such as at city hall, Powell River Public Library, Powell River Recreation Complex and the north harbour parking lot.
The level-three charging station that BC Hydro is proposing will charge an electric vehicle in 30 minutes, so it is very convenient for travellers. Lukyanova said people coming from Vancouver Island or the lower Sunshine Coast will be able to recharge their vehicles quickly and continue on their journeys. She added that local electric vehicle owners tend to charge at home and prefer a slower charge because fast charging can have negative impacts on the vehicle battery life if used frequently. However, they are essential for travellers.
“The nice thing about the program is that it is fully funded by BC Hydro,” said Lukyanova.
This includes the costs of installing the equipment, signage, operation and maintenance, including the cost of electricity.
In terms of location, the ideal place for the fast charger is somewhere close to the highway and the ferries, said Lukyanova. The north harbour parking lot has been selected for the installation location because of its proximity to both.
The fast charger will be close to the existing level-two station already situated in the parking lot. An existing power pole can be used so there will be no further impact on views.
There is provision in the BC Hydro agreement for adding a second station in the future if there is a demonstrated need.
In terms of the city’s level-two stations, Lukyanova said usage is more than doubling as electric vehicles gain in popularity. Halfway through 2019, the city’s level-two stations have already surpassed 2018 levels.
Councillor George Doubt said the charging stations are obviously needed and he is seeing good utilization of the existing stations. He said the north harbour parking lot is not full now, but over the summer, it is going to be full of trucks and boat trailers.
“I just want to be sure when people are painting out the lines and positioning the chargers, they are going to be thinking about how the boat trailers are going to use that parking lot,” said Doubt.
Director of infrastructure Tor Birtig said the charging station location will be looked at and may move further eastward to ensure there is a good corridor.
Lukyanova said she hopes the level-three charger helps attract tourism. She said BC Hydro shows charging station locations on its website.
