Owning an electric vehicle in Gold River may be a bit easier with a fast-charging site now open.
The new site opened on March 31 next to the Gold River Tourist Information Centre at Highway 28 and Scout Lake Road. The site includes two 50-kilowatt charging units.
BC Hydro says each unit can add 50 kilometres of driving range to an electric vehicle (EV) in about 10 minutes.
The sites add to BC Hydro’s electrification plan, unveiled in September, to encourage industries to switch to hydroelectricity. The site adds to the now more than 100 chargers in B.C.
Gold River mayor Brad Unger says the chargers are welcome as EVs get more popular.
“We are very happy to see our community move forward with an electric vehicle fast charging site in Gold River,” said Unger. “The number of electric vehicles in B.C. is growing and this site will make it possible for travellers to visit our community and the surrounding area. We are thankful for BC Hydro’s efforts to make this a reality.”
Transportation creates around 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in B.C., according to BC Hydro. They say more chargers will be added around the province to facilitate the change.
“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,” said Chris O’Riley, BC Hydro president and CEO. “BC Hydro will add 325 charging units to its network at 145 sites within the next five years.”
There are currently 114 fast charging units at 78 sites across B.C. communities. They are funded in a partnership with the province and Natural Resources Canada.
