Feds announce $1.7M to help build more electric vehicle chargers in B.C.

The federal government is spending $1.7 million to help fund the installation of 128 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in British Columbia.

The bulk of the money $1.2 million will contribute to 28 new public EV chargers to be located on B.C. highways. The B.C. Ministry of Transportation is adding the remaining $2.4 million to the $3.6 million project. The chargers are slated to be up and running this winter.

The remaining $500,000 of federal money is being put toward installing 100 Level 2chargers at Burnaby city hall for the city's vehicle fleet. The project's total cost is $1.1 million, with the remainder funded by the City of Burnaby.

The announcement was made by Natural Resources MinisterJohathan Wilkinson in Burnaby. The federal and provincial governments haveset 2035 as the target for when allnew passenger vehicles sold must be zero-emission.

Zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) accounted for 13 per cent of all new light-duty vehicle sales in B.C. in 2021, the highest rate of uptake in North America.

It's estimated there are over 79,000 ZEVson provincial roads.