The FortisBC-owned and operated stations connect the West Kootenay to the Okanagan and across Kootenay Pass to the East Kootenay and Alberta. Within each community, each station is also conveniently located to allow easy access to amenities like restaurants, shops and attractions.
“Transportation and tourism are top priorities for our Highway 3 Mayors and Chairs coalition,” Toyota said. “The installation of these Direct Current Fast Charging stations involves an amazing Accelerate Kootenays collaboration that will help our region reduce our long-term emissions and encourage electric car traffic as well.”
Accelerate Kootenays is a two-year, $1.5 million project that will strategically address the charging infrastructure gap across the region. The project has been made possible by an unprecedented local collaboration led by the Regional Districts of the East Kootenay, Central Kootenay, and Kootenay Boundary and includes funding contributions from Columbia Basin Trust, Federation of Canadian Municipalities, B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines, and FortisBC, with long-term in-kind support from BC Hydro. The Accelerate Kootenays project is facilitated by Community Energy Association.
The stations have been strategically sited in Greenwood, Christina Lake, Castlegar, Salmo, and Creston to ensure connected travel and charging options for drivers. All are part of the broader Accelerate Kootenays initiative which will ultimately facilitate the installation of 13 fast chargers and 40 Level 2 chargers in communities across the Kootenays, resulting in over 1,800 km of connected electric vehicle travel. The fast charging stations are critical infrastructure to allow electric vehicle drivers to travel to and through the region, and to facilitate increased adoption of electric vehicles locally.
“This partnership has done a tremendous job in expanding the network of fast charging stations and helping the region meet its climate goals — we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Mark Warren, Director, Business Innovation & Measurement, FortisBC. “Projects like this are one of the ways we are meeting our customers’ needs for cleaner energy options, especially for transportation, and we look forward to participating in more projects like this.”
Fast charging stations allow a vehicle to charge from 0% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes. Level 2 charging stations take four to six hours for an 80% charge. The cost for a DCFC fast charge is $18 per hour, pro-rated.