Electric vehicle charging stations in B.C. condos the subject of new rebate program

An electric vehicle is plugged in at the University of Victoria campus in October 2019. (PICS)

VANCOUVER -

The British Columbia government is helping apartment and condo owners plug into the growing demand for electric vehicles by offering rebates and other funding to install chargers in their buildings.

Bruce Ralston, the minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation, says B.C.'s charger rebate program will receive $10 million as part of the budget this year to support installations of the charging stations.

He told a news conference Tuesday that condominiums, apartments and workplaces that purchase and install eligible electric vehicle chargers can receive a rebate of up to 50 per cent of the cost to a maximum of $2,000 per charger.

Ralston says single-family homes, including duplexes and townhouses, can also receive a rebate of up to 50 per cent of the purchase and installation costs to a maximum of $350.

B.C. has one of the largest public-charging networks in Canada with more than 2,500 stations.

The minister says the charging plan aligns with the provincial government's CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 announced on Monday that legislates greenhouse gas emission targets.