Using electric vehicles in the Cowichan Valley has become even easier thanks to an upgrade to the public fast-charge electric vehicle station at the Island Savings Centre.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District, in partnership with the province, BC Hydro and BMW, has recently completed an upgrade to the station at the ISC to a combined charging-station unit.
The unit, which was installed in November, offers newer technology capable of supporting a broader variety of electric vehicles and charging in approximately 20 to 30 minutes, versus the four to six-hour time required for the slower stations, or the 12 to 18 hours required to get a full charge with a regular plug in an outlet.
As of the beginning of the year, users of the electric-vehicle charging station at the ISC started paying a fee of 35 cents per kilowatt hour, with a $2 minimum charge per session.
“We are excited to be leaders in offering green technology with a station that will allow more electric vehicle types to use the charging infrastructure within our communities,” said CVRD chairman Jon Lefebure.
“The board made the decision to add user fees to this station so the CVRD could recover a portion of the costs required to support this infrastructure and to accurately gauge station demands.”
For more information, check out www.plugshare.com.