Electrify Canada charging straight ahead
Company creating a network of stations for electric vehicle drivers near B.C. tourist attractions
By the end of the year, electric vehicle drivers in B.C. will be able to charge up at nine stations along the Trans-Canada and highways 97 and 99.
Electrify Canada’s new locations will create a network for EV owners to access many of the province’s most popular tourist attractions, including the Nicola Valley, Banff National Park, Discovery Trail and Riverside Park Beach.
“British Columbia has been at the forefront of the electric mobility movement and we’re excited that electric vehicle drivers in B.C. will now be able to benefit from the Electrify Canada network,” said Electrify Canada chief operating officer Robert Barrosa.
The first of the nine stations opened last month in the Interior town of Merritt, and marked the company’s first location in Western Canada.
Its first station in Canada opened in the Toronto area in the fall of 2019.
The other B.C. locations are in Abbotsford, Hope, Golden, Kamloops, Kelowna, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm and Squamish, and are among 32 locations across four provinces planned for the company’s first phase of development. Five of the B.C. stations, including the one in Merritt, are at Canadian Tire stores. Each station will offer four or more chargers and power levels ranging from 50 kilowatts up to 350 kW.
“Our expansion to the West Coast is another strong step in our journey to provide high quality, fast-charging options to the ever-growing Canadian EV community,” said Barrosa.
The International Energy Agency reported that 2019 saw a 60 per cent jump in the number of public charging stations across the globe.
By year’s end, the IEA said there were 862,118 public charging stations, with 60 per cent of those in China. Of that global total, 31 per cent were fast-charging stations.
Public charging infrastructure is cited as critical to electric vehicle adoption, particularly in dense urban areas where there is less opportunity for private charging at home. In terms of those private charge points, the report estimated that by the end of 2019, there were 6.5 million in operation.
Drivers can access the stations by downloading the Electrify Canada app or using their credit card at the station. To view whether a station near you is open and for a full list of Electrify Canada station locations, visit electrify-canada.ca/locate-charger/.
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