FortisBC hits new electric vehicle milestone, reaching 30,000 charging events

Apr 24, 2023

EV usage continues to grow, tracking to reach 40,000 charging events by the end of the year

Kelowna, B.C.—April 24, 2023: With more British Columbians adopting electric vehicles (EVs) each year, FortisBC Inc.’s (FortisBC) electric direct current fast-charge (DCFC) network in British Columbia’s (B.C.) Southern Interior has reached a new milestone, exceeding 30,000 charging events to date. Since opening its first public charging station in 2018, usage across FortisBC’s network has increased significantly, almost doubling the number of charging events each year. In 2022 alone, the network reached over 13,000 charging events, compared to approximately 7,000 charging events in 2021.

“It’s encouraging to see the amount of growth across our EV fast charging network in such a short period of time,” said George Thompson, EV infrastructure & investment manager, FortisBC. “Investing in low-carbon transportation is a key part of FortisBC’s strategy to help reduce customers’ emissions, so we’re thrilled our EV charging network is performing so well.”

FortisBC first started exploring EV charging infrastructure in 2015 and has worked with numerous partners, including those with the Community Energy Association’s Accelerate Kootenays project, the Osoyoos Indian Band, as well as a number of local municipalities to build a network of fast-charging stations. With support from Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program and the Province’s CleanBC Go Electric, FortisBC’s EV network has expanded significantly over the past three years with the addition of 12 new charging stations since 2021, including its first high-powered 100 kilowatt (kW) chargers. The addition of these higher-powered 100kW chargers will help better serve new vehicles coming to market with larger batteries and higher supported charge rates.

FortisBC’s network now includes 42 DCFC stations across 22 charging sites throughout communities in B.C.’s Southern Interior, with the majority of the stations placed along major highway corridors to facilitate highway travel through the region.

“More residents and visitors in the Southern Interior are transitioning to EVs so it’s essential that charging stations are available to provide quick, convenient and reliable EV charging, allowing drivers to travel through the region with confidence,” said Thompson.

British Columbians are among the highest adopters of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) in North America, with approximately 18 per cent of new light-duty vehicle sales in 2022 being ZEVs.¹ Making EV infrastructure more accessible and convenient can help encourage the adoption of cleaner energy choices for transportation and support customers in their efforts to reduce emissions.

Transportation remains responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in B.C., accounting for approximately 40 per cent of provincial GHG emissions. Investing in EV infrastructure is just one of the ways FortisBC is helping customers reduce emissions in support of the province’s climate action goals.

Through the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, FortisBC also works with the provincial government to offer rebates for installing charging stations in homes, multi-unit residential buildings and workplaces. Right now, the City of Kelowna is offering top-ups to existing rebates, including additional incentives for EV charging station installations in multi-unit residential buildings.

For more information about the FortisBC EV fast-charging network, visit fortisbc.com/EV

¹CleanBC Go Electric 2022 Zero-Emission Vehicle Update

 

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