The B.C. government plans to charge up more electric vehicles with funding from the Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) Program to expand and upgrade public and residential charging infrastructure.

Investments will be fueled into two programs. The first includes $688,500 for incentives for Level 2 charging stations in multi-unit residential buildings like apartment blocks and strata complexes. Tenants, building managers or owners, and strata councils of eligible multi-unit residential buildings can tap into the program. Approved applicants will receive a rebate of up to 75 per cent of the total, before-tax cost of installing a Level 2 EV charging station to a maximum of $4,500.

The second program, in partnership with BMW Canada and BC Hydro, will utilize $276,500 to upgrade ten public, single-standard DC fast charging stations (DCFCs) to dual-standard chargers to better serve all EV models.

The upgrades will enable the chargers to offer both styles of charging standards (SAE Combo and CHAdeMO). These ten stations currently use only the CHAdeMO charging standard which was the only standard available at the time they were installed.