Making The Switch To An Electric Vehicle (EV)

Did you know that 95% of all vehicle trips in British Columbia are less than 30 km? BC Hydro expects the number of electric vehicles and EV charging stations in the province to increase to 300,000 by 2030. During a recent survey, 85% percent of respondents to a BC Hydro conducted survey stated that they would consider purchasing an electric vehicle. Knowing that transportation in the city of Vancouver accounts for 41% of the carbon pollution in Vancouver, transitioning light-duty fossil-fueled vehicles to electric will significantly reduce our gas emissions and protect our future. 

There are now over 1000 public EV charging stations in British Columbia. With these locations in addition to the EV Charger installation of your home, you will reap the benefits of making the switch to an EV. In addition to helping the planet, another advantage of driving an electrical vehicle is the amount of money you will save on gas. With a battery electric vehicle (BEV), you will rely solely on electricity and spend zero on gas. With a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), you will buy a significantly less amount of gas.

BC Hydro provides free online personalized estimates for projected annual gas savings of electric vehicles and is offering provincial EV charger rebates for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers and infrastructure:

https://evcalculator.bchydro.com/

https://electricvehicles.bchydro.com/incentives/charger-rebates

Another benefit to electric vehicles is that the federal government also offers on-going rebates to vehicles that they classify as zero-emission vehicles (ZEV’s). The government of Canada classifies a ZEV as a vehicle that has the potential to produce zero tailpipe emissions. Check out the government website to see up-to-date rebates for ZEV purchases and leases:

https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/road/innovative-technologies/zero-emission-vehicles.html

How Does Public Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Work?

Many electric vehicles charging stations in Vancouver are free to users but require a separate membership and user card for use. There are currently three major companies in BC providing service, according to Plug In BC (provide link). The companies are Chargepoint, Flo (AddEnergie), and Greenlots. Each company has a different procedural policy; please use the provided links to each company so that you can view each policy directly on the company site.

Plug-In BC also provides an interactive map of charging stations across the entire world! You can click on each location on the map and it gives the hours of operation, phone number, cost and payment information, port type information, and more. This map is great for users because it provides all of the important information you require prior to arrival at the charging station. You can find the interactive map here:

http://pluginbc.ca/charging-stations/finding-stations/

EV Charger Installation at Home

Plug In BC’s website provides a great step-by-step checklist for owners to install charging stations at home:

https://pluginbc.ca/charging-stations/planning-hosting-a-charging-station/

Before beginning your EV Charger installation, you should check with the building owner if you do not own the property to find out what regulations they may have. Next, you can contact Kato Electrical Inc. to take care of the rest! We will come to your site and provide you with a quote and a proposed personalized plan. 

Call Kato Electrical Inc. at 604-417-4785 today to book your appointment for your EV Charger Installation in Vancouver and let our experts set you up for electric vehicle charging station success.