Automotive News Canada
BC truck owners looking forward to an electric 4x4 might want to take the BC government up on their offer of free cash. Electric vehicle drivers are being offered rebates to install Level 2 charging stations at home or work. Homeowners can get a $350 rebate in a single-family home and $2,000 rebate is available for stations designed for multiple users in apartments or workplaces.
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Electric Vehicle Charging
A Level 2 EV charging station uses a higher output 240-volt power source and has a faster charging time than a Level 1 EV charging station. It takes about three to four hours to charge a battery using a Level 2 charger. It could take up to 16 hours for to do the same using a Level 1 charger.
The government says in a statement that BC Hydro customers can apply for an additional $350 in a matching rebate to buy and install the equipment in single-family homes.
“British Columbians are increasingly shifting to electric vehicles and our government is supporting this transition by making home chargers more affordable and accessible,” George Heyman, minister of environment and climate change strategy, said in a statement.
Blair Qualey, president of the New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia, said in an email that he and his members believe there are several elements that are key to the continued adoption of electric vehicles in British Columbia, “including making EVs more affordable and the policies that will bring about convenient access to fast-charging infrastructure.”
In that respect, the provincial government’s new rebate program, making the installation of charging stations in single family homes and condominiums more affordable, is a positive step," he said. "We continue to encourage ongoing investment and focus on development of a robust fast-charging network, both within our communities and along major highway routes, to address issues such as range anxiety.”
Sales of electric vehicles in B.C. were up 100 per cent to 2,718 in the first quarter of 2019, according to Electric Mobility Canada, a a national membership-based not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the advancement of e-mobility. Electric-vehicle sales in B.C. were 175 per cent to 6,582 in the second quarter.
More than $4 million has been set aside for the new CleanBC rebate program.
Michelle Mungall, minister of energy, mines and petroleum resources, says the rebates will make it easier to switch to electric vehicles.
To qualify for the rebates, the stations must be installed and final documents submitted by March 31.
Originally published here.