BURSTBC Hydro plans to triple the number of its public electric vehicle charging ports by 2035 through a $700-million investment in 3,500 new charging ports across B.C.
“It will make it one of the largest networks in Canada,” BC Hydro CEO Charlotte Mitha said of the new plan at a Tuesday morning announcement in Richmond.
There are currently 917 BC Hydro charging ports at 190 locations throughout the province.
This is in addition to roughly 8,900 total public charging ports in the province. Of these, 2,317 are fast-charging ports.
The new chargers will use standardized designs and be either 200-kilowatt fast chargers or 400-kilowatt ultra-fast chargers at high-use locations.
“This announcement isn’t just about adding chargers; it’s about giving drivers confidence that fast and reliable chargers will be available wherever their journey takes them,” Mitha said.
BC Hydro is also adding washrooms and other amenities at some locations.
Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix touted BC Hydro as having some of the lowest electricity rates in the world, making driving an electric vehicle even cheaper in British Columbia than elsewhere.
“As a result of that, British Columbians who have EVs can save huge amounts of money every day, every week, every month and every year,” he said.
Dix also pointed out the reliability of BC Hydro’s network as energy issues crop up elsewhere in the world.
“BC Hydro is a symbol of reliability at a time when energy has become something that has been unreliable in the world,” he said. “Even oil has become intermittent because of events in the Middle East, the war between the United States and Israel and Iran.”