B.C. to get more than 2,400 electric vehicle chargers

The Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson was in Vancouver Friday to announce nearly $19 million in funding for more than 2,400 electric vehicle (EV) chargers in B.C.

Wilkinson says it’s all part of the federal government’s plan to lower carbon emissions.

“Reducing emissions from the transportation sector is vital to meeting our climate target. Transportation is the number one source of emissions in Canada,” Wilkinson said.

According to Natural Resources Canada, 25 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the country come from transportation.

“These chargers will make it so much easier for drivers to get to where they need to go and to reduce range anxiety,” the minister said.

Wilkinson says the anxiety over the lack of EV chargers was something that “inhibited the deployment of vehicles for a number of years.”

He says having this kind of program will help ease some of the pressure people can feel when looking for a charge.

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Josie Osborn, B.C.’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, says more British Columbians are choosing to drive electric vehicles.
“Partnerships like this one make it easy to switch to EVs and give drivers the peace of mind that they can get from A to B,” Osborne said.

The program is part of Natural Resources Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), a $680 million initiative that’s addressing the lack of charging and refueling stations in Canada. According to Natural Resources Canada, 34,500 new charging stations will be installed across the country by 2027.

“We are going to see more and more partnerships like this all over the country as we continue to wrap up zero-emission infrastructure,” Wilkinson said.

Out of the more than 2,400 EV chargers allocated for B.C., the minister says 1,800 EV chargers will be installed in Greater Vancouver.