As of 2020, there are over 7,300 electrical vehicles on Vancouver Island.
There are a growing number of electric vehicles on Vancouver Island (up from just over 1,100 in 2016 to over 7,300 in 2020). This is a result of the rising cost of fuel and the heightened understanding of the damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
A lack of charging stations on the North Island restricts the viability of electric vehicles for people who live in the community, as well as tourists who visit.
The project offers an opportunity for participating local governments and First Nations to place EV charging stations in their jurisdictions at no cost. The lifespan of the charging stations to be installed is 14 years and the emissions reduction for each gasoline vehicle replaced by battery-operated is estimated, by the Province of B.C., at four tonnes a year. The projects’ EV station suppliers will also ensure that the 18 new dual wall-mounted units will be networked — offering an impressive cost recovery option to local governments for the cost of electricity (as they are generally 50% less costly than free-standing pedestal units).
Island Coastal Economic Trust approved funding for this project in 2022 through the Capital and Innovation program.
We work in reciprocal relationships with coastal communities across the ancestral territories of the Kwak̓wala, Nuučaan̓uɫ, Éy7á7juuthem, Ligwilda'xw, Pəntl'áč, She shashishalhem, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Hul’q’umi’num’, diitiidʔaatx̣, SENĆOŦEN, Lekwungen, and T’Sou-ke speaking peoples.
