Victoria debuts first neighbourhood EV fast charging station

The City of Victoria has opened its first neighbourhood electric vehicle fast charging station as part of a program to expand green infrastructure across the city.

The two 50-kilowatt Direct Current Fast Chargers have opened in the Bay Street parking lot at Vic West Park, and officials celebrated the opening Saturday with a community event showcasing EV charging and providing information on switching to an electric vehicle.

Direct Current Fast Chargers provide "a significantly faster charge" than Level 2 EV chargers, the city says in a statement, noting that they can provide an 80 per cent charge in about an hour, depending on the make, model and battery of the vehicle being charged.

The city says its Electric Vehicle and Electric Mobility Strategy will see 30 EV fast chargers installed near apartments and other multi-family housing units over the next five years.

"The city’s Climate Leadership Plan sets a target for 30 per cent of passenger vehicles in Victoria to be renewably powered by the end of this decade, reaching 100 per cent by 2050," the city says in its release.

"As of Oct. 1, 2020, all residential properties must be EV charging ready and all new commercial developments must include at least 5 per cent of parking stalls that are energized and ready for EV chargers."

Across B.C., approximately 17 per cent of new car sales are electric. That's double the Canada-wide average of 8.5 per cent.

Victoria's 2022 municipal budget invests $1.5 million in electric vehicle infrastructure, with additional funding provided by the province and the federal government.

With files from The Canadian Press