Whereas Metro Vancouver has identified that by 2035 up to 350,000 existing parking spots in multiunit residential buildings in the region will be retrofitted to be electric vehicle EV charging ready, and 2,200 to 2,900 public direct current fast charging DCFC ports and 32,000 to 47,000 public Level 2 ports will be needed to support anticipated demand for EV charging, requiring significant capital investment in both public charging and multiunit residential buildings retrofits totalling approximately 1.2 billion in Metro Vancouver alone by 2035; And whereas the Government of BC has provided funding for the purchase and installation of EV chargers for home and public charging through the Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program to complement the rapid increase of EV sales required through the BC ZeroEmissions Vehicle Act reaching 100 by 2035; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Government of BC to expand and enhance the funding available through the CleanBC Go Electric Rebate Program to offer sufficient rebates for charging in multiunit residential buildings and public charging to support the expected rapid uptake of EVs in BC.
Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions The Government of BC introduced programs to support Zero-Emission Vehicle ZEV adoption beginning in 2011 and has since committed more than 650 million in funding to ZEVs and the required infrastructure. The Province is working with other levels of government, utilities, and industry to meet the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 goal to have 10,000 public charging stations across the province by 2030. We are well on the way to achieving this goal with over 6,000 public chargers installed as of the end of 2024. The Province provides rebates for electric vehicle EV charging stations in single family homes, Multi-Unit Residential Buildings MURBs, and workplaces through the CleanBC Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program. The Program currently offers support for MURBs with rebates for level-2 EV charging stations up to 2,000, EV Ready plans up to 3,000 and EV Ready electrical infrastructure upgrades up to 120,000 per MURB complex. A total of 52.5 million in funding has been provided to the CleanBC Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program since fiscal year 201718, including an additional 14 million announced in September 2024. Through rebates offered in the Go Electric EV Charger Rebate program, the Province has supported the purchase and installation of 4,407 level-2 charging stations in MURBs. Following the integration of EV Ready rebate offers in 2021, the Province has also supported 759 EV Ready plans and has helped electrify 14,484 parking stalls at 92 MURBs across BC. Several municipalities have also partnered with the Province by providing top-up rebates to further incentivize the EV Ready offers and EV charging station offers in MURBs, including the City of Kamloops, the District of Saanich, the District of Squamish, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. The Province is also committed to investing in public charging infrastructure. The CleanBC Go Electric Public Charger Program provides rebates of up to 80,000 per fast charger 130,000 for Indigenous communities, with increased rebates for higher capacity chargers. Applications to this program are reviewed in cycles throughout the year, with the next funding round launching in Spring 2025. As of January 2025, 542 Direct Current Fast Charger DCFC ports and 218 level 2 ports have been approved for funding through the Public Charger Program. In total, this program has received 118.8 million in funding, including an additional 30 million announced in Budget 2024. The Province also supports public charging projects by providing an additional 25,000 per charger for BC projects that are approved for funding through Natural Resources Canadas NRCan Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program ZEVIP. Developing adequate infrastructure to support the rapid uptake of EVs in BC continues to be a priority for the Province. In September 2024, the Province announced the completion of the Electric Highway, a public charging network which ensures that EV drivers can reliably travel through the entire province along all highways and major roadways with fast charging stations located no more than approximately 150 kilometres apart. With 155 strategic charging sites and over 310 fast chargers, the Electric Highway allows EV drivers to reliably access fast chargers where and when they need them. Through the Public Charger Program and ZEVIP top-ups, the Province provided over 13 million to support the completion of the Electric Highway. Through these historic investments in private and public charging infrastructure, the Province is continuing to support installation of required infrastructure to ensure continued rapid uptake of EVs in BC. The Province is constantly monitoring the market and continues to explore policy and program changes that support the transition towards ZEVs in BC.