New EV chargers coming to Okanagan

The B.C. government is expanding its network of fast electric vehicle charging stations.

The province announced the creation of 44 new charging stations across B.C., including two in Kelowna and two in Summerland.

The new Kelowna sites will be located at the Mac’s Convenience Store at 2220 Boucherie Road.

The new Summerland stations will be at the Mac’s Convenience Store at 14405 Rosedale Avenue.

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Emissions confirmed with Vernon Matters that the new equipment in Kelowna and Summerland are expected to be operational by May, 2023.

“As British Columbians are switching to electric vehicles at record speed, we continue to expand our network of electric charging stations and accelerate toward our CleanBC goal of completing B.C.’s electric highway by 2024 with our rebate programs,” Bruce Ralston, minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, said.

“With these new charging stations, British Columbians can travel to different communities throughout the province with ease and contribute to a low-carbon future.”

The new charging stations are funded under the seventh round of the CleanBC Go Electric Public Charger Program.

The other new facilities will be located in Coquitlam, Kitimat, Mission, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Quesnel, Richmond, Surrey, Terrace, Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler.

The province stated that approximately 85,000 light-duty EVs were registered in B.C. in 2022, and that 16.4 per cent of new light-duty passenger vehicles sold in the first half of 2022 were EVs.

“We’re building a cleaner, better future for people with more fast-charging stations for electric vehicles in communities throughout the province,” Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy George Heyman said.

“By making cleaner choices easier and more affordable, we’re making sure 90 per cent of all new light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. are zero emission by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035 – a key commitment in our CleanBC Roadmap to 2030.”

The new stations build on the more than 3,000 public charging stations throughout B.C., including over 750 fast-charging stations.