Last Friday, BC Hydro outlined the second phase of its electric vehicle fast charging network plans which will see 28 new stations introduced to the Southern BC corridor and onto Vancouver Island, an addition to the existing thirty stations that have been put in place since 2016.
As part of Friday's announcement, Chris O'Riley, BC Hydro President and Chief Operating Officer outlines some of the savings that can be found from the wider introduction of the fast charger system across the province.
"We're very pleased to provide this network of fast chargers to encourage electric vehicle drivers to get out and explore B.C. this summer.
Electric vehicles are a great option for British Columbians looking to reduce their impact on the environment because we generate 98 per cent clean electricity.
They also help lower their driving costs by around 75 per cent."
With the increase of charging station availability across the province, BC Hydro has see a steady increase in their use since 2017, with the volume of users at existing stations across the province increasing by 63 percent in the last year alone.
More on the BC Hydro Fast Charging network can be reviewed here.
The full list of the stations to this point can be viewed here.
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| BC Hydro's existing network of electric vehicle charging stations so far only runs as far North as Kamloops |
As part of Friday's announcement, BC Hydro noted that the third phase of the charging network program will see attention directed to Northern BC.
First with plans for a network from Kamloops to Prince George and eventually across the Highway 16 corridor to Prince Rupert.
No timeline was revealed on Friday as to how long BC Hydro anticipates being able to deliver on its electric charging network for Northwestern British Columbia.
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| BC Hydro is looking north next for expansion of its vehicle charging network With plans first for stations between Kamloops and Prince George, followed later on by a network from Prince George to Prince Rupert. |
That will be welcome news for Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain and those he works with on the Highway 16/97 Electric Vehicle Advisory Committee, which most recently met in Smithers and Prince George for discussions on the plans for expansion of a vehicle charging network.
At that session in May, Mr. Brain noted some of the progress that the group had found to this point towards their goals of a charging network for the North.
The focus on the vehicle charging projects has been a key element of the Mayor's overall sustainable city initiatives program over the last four years, you can review more on those ambitions from our archive page here.
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