BC Hydro expands EV fast-charging site in Boston Bar
BOSTON BAR — Motorists with electric vehicles don’t have to necessarily fret if they need a power boost driving through the Fraser Canyon north of Hope.
BC Hydro has expanded the number of electric vehicle charging stations at its site in Boston Bar with the addition of a new 50-kilowatt charging unit.
In a news release Wednesday (Jan. 3), the Crown utility corporation said it has doubled the number of chargers in the rural Fraser Canyon community along Highway 1.
The Boston Bar site originally opened in May 2017 and is ideally situated in the parking lot of Canyon Lanes, 47585 Trans Canada Highway. The site was originally built with one 50-kilowatt charging unit, which can add 50 kilometres of driving to an average electric vehicle in about 10 minutes. On December 26, an additional 50-kilowatt charging unit was brought into service.
BC Hydro said transportation represents roughly 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the province. In September 2021, BC Hydro revealed its Electrification Plan, with initiatives to encourage B.C. residents, businesses and industries to switch to hydroelectricity from fossil fuels to help reduce carbon emissions. The plan encourages switching from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.
“As the primary fuel supplier for electric vehicles, we are building out charging infrastructure to ensure we can accommodate the volume and variety of electric vehicles that will be on B.C. roads in the coming years,” says Chris O’Riley, President and CEO of BC Hydro. “BC Hydro will have 325 charging units in its network at 145 sites by the end of 2025.”
BC Hydro’s province-wide fast charging network currently consists of 162 charging units at 85 sites in communities throughout B.C. The chargers are funded in a partnership with the B.C. government and Natural Resources Canada.