Summerland EV chargers proving popular already
Drivers are getting quite a jolt from Summerland’s electric vehicle charging stations.
Through the first half of the year, there were a total of 419 charging “sessions” at 26 different stations throughout the community, according to a report submitted to council at a special meeting Monday.
Those charging sessions used a total of 5,066 kilowatt-hours of electricity and produced revenue of $1,540 for the District of Summerland.
Level 2 chargers cost $2 per hour, while the faster Level 3 chargers cost $18 per hour.
The four Level 2 chargers installed in December 2020 at Summerland municipal hall have proven to be the most popular, accounting for 210 sessions.
Graham Statt, the district’s chief administrative officer, said Summerland is well-positioned for the future.
“Recently, the government of B.C. has announced a very significant movement towards the use of electric vehicles over the next 10-year period and onward, so having infrastructure in place in order to accommodate the travelling public that starts to switch to electric vehicles for the benefits of their personal pocketbooks, perhaps, but also for the environment, is a wise choice and we’re certainly happy to lead in it,” said Statt.
Rebates of up to $8,000 are available on purchases of the most popular new electric vehicles, while separate grant programs are open to help cover the cost of installing home charging stations.
And just last month, FortisBC announced it had received funding from the provincial and federal governments to help install 22 new charging stations across the B.C. Southern Interior.