BC Hydro plugged into Sooke for the installation of its first 180-kilowatt chargers on Vancouver Island for electric vehicles.
“An important part of our CleanBC climate plan is helping people make the switch from a gas-powered vehicle to one that runs on B.C.’s clean electricity, whether you’re driving around a city, a small town, or a more remote area of our vast and beautiful province,” Josie Osborne, B.C. minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation, said in a media release. “This new electric vehicle charge site in Sooke continues our work with BC Hydro and other partners to make cleaner options more accessible and affordable for all British Columbians.”
The new 180-kilowatt chargers in the Evergreen Centre parking lot at 6660 Sooke Rd. can add 180 kilometres of driving to an average electric vehicle in about 10 minutes. This location also includes a curbless design and lower displays on the new chargers for better accessibility.
“These new charging stations will help British Columbians get to where they need to go more quickly and reliably, all while using clean energy,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “More electric chargers bring both environmental and economic benefits as we work towards lowering our climate-changing emissions 40% by 2030.”
In addition to being faster, the units also offer dual charging or power sharing, which allows two customers to use the same charger. For example, a 180-kilowatt charger can adjust to provide two 90-kilowatt charging ports, which allows more drivers to access public charging stations at the same time.
“There is a growing community of EV drivers in Sooke, and we are proud to make it the first location on Vancouver Island to offer these higher-powered chargers within BC Hydro’s network,” said Langford-Juan de Fuca MLA Ravi Parmar. “With more options for fast charging, Sooke is now better equipped to meet the needs of our growing EV community. This advancement will not only support local residents but also encourage more people to consider electric vehicles as a viable and sustainable transportation choice.”
The adoption of electric vehicles across British Columbia has increased significantly. There are now more than 170,000 EVs on the road in B.C., and BC Hydro predicts there will be between 700,000 and 900,000 EVs within the next 10 years.
“British Columbians are embracing electric vehicles faster than any other jurisdiction in Canada and that’s why we are continuing to make investments for growth within our current system and building out our fast charging network across B.C.,” says Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of BC Hydro. “These new chargers are part of our expansion plan to achieve geographic connectivity of our EV fast charging network, with a station located at least every 150 kilometres throughout B.C.”
BC Hydro’s provincewide fast charging network currently includes 270 charging ports at 107 sites in communities throughout B.C. The chargers are funded through a partnership between the Province of B.C. and Natural Resources Canada.
