BC Hydro has opened its first 350 kW EV charger in the Okanagan — it’s one of 22 at the utility’s new charging hub. Photo: BC Hydro
Electric vehicle drivers travelling through the interior of British Colombia may be able to get a full charge for about as long as it takes to fill up a gas car.
BC Hydro has opened its first 350 kW EV charger at Pelmewash Parkway on Oyama Road in Oyama — roughly half an hour north of Kelowna and 15 minutes south of Vernon.
“British Columbians are embracing electric vehicles faster than any other jurisdiction in Canada and that’s why we are continuing to make investments for growth within our current system and building out our fast charging network across B.C.,” said Chris O’Riley, President and CEO of BC Hydro, in a press release.
“This charge site in Lake Country currently has the highest-powered charger in our network and will allow for a greater turnover of customers so they can spend less time waiting for their vehicle to charge up.”
The site, which has room for 22 EVs to charge simultaneously, also has eight 180-kilowatt dual port chargers and four Level 2 chargers. BC Hydro advises some of the stations are equipped with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors and all the spots are a pull-through design.
Charge time on 350 kW
Not every electric vehicle on the road will be able to accept a 350 kW fast charge from the new BC Hydro station. However, for those vehicles that can, drivers will notice massive reductions in wait times.
For example, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in 18 minutes on a 350 kW charger, or, gain 100km of range in five minutes.
“This new electric vehicle charge hub in Lake Country will support EV adoption in the Okanagan as we continue our work with BC Hydro and other partners to make cleaner options more accessible and affordable for all British Columbians,” said B.C.’s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix.
By comparison, the next fastest chargers in Canada are Tesla’s V4 Superchargers. The first 16 of them landed in Langley, B.C. earlier this fall, the company announced.
The V4 Tesla Supercharger offers 250 kW charging speed, the amperage at the stations jumped from 425 (V3 levels) to 615. This means that the charge can be delivered faster to vehicles, without increasing the power needed at the station.
Tesla says EV drivers using a V4 station are able to add between 261-322 km of range in 15 minutes, depending on their vehicle model.
BC Hydro planning more charging hubs
To date, B.C. has more than 170,000 EVs on the road, while BC Hydro’s network includes 394 charging ports at 130 sites across the province.
The network is planning to add more charging hubs in Prince George, Delta and Colwood in the future.
Meanwhile, the province is projecting there will be between 700,000 and 900,000 EVs on the road in the province in the next decade.
