The EV charging hub on Pelmewash Parkway in Lake Country (photo courtesy of B.C. Hydro)

By Liam Verster

Fast Charging Hub

B.C. Hydro installs fast EV charging hub in Lake Country, first in the Okanagan

Dec 4, 2024 | 10:40 AM

The first fast electric vehicle charging hub in the Okanagan has been installed.

B.C. Hydro opened a fast EV charging site in Lake Country, the largest hub in its network, capable of charging 22 vehicles at the same time and using its first 350 kilowatt charger.

“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,” Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, said.

Lake Country was chosen as the site for the charging hub in a collaboration between the District and the Crown Corporation as it will help support the growing EV use in the Okanagan travel corridor.

The hub, located on the corner of Pelmewash Parkway and Oyama Road, features one 350-kilowatt charger. That charger can provide up to 100 kilometres of driving to an electric vehicle in about five minutes. It also offers power sharing so two vehicles can charge at once, each receiving up to 175 kilowatts.

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“We are leading the charge,” Blair Ireland, mayor of the District of Lake Country, said.

“We are excited that BC Hydro chose Lake Country to install the latest in EV charging technology and we understand there is a lot of interest in this new state-of-the-art EV charging site.”

The site also has eight 180 kilowatt dual port chargers and four Level 2 chargers, some of which are equipped with North American Charging Standard connectors so a variety of electric vehicle types can use them. The hub also incorporated a pull-through design so it can be accessed by large trucks and trailers.

“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.,” Chris O’Riley, President and CEO of B.C. Hydro, said.

“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.”

B.C. Hydro stated there were more than 170,000 EVs on the road in B.C., and projected another 700,000 to 900,000 would come online within the next 10 years.

The addition of the charging hub in Lake Country brings the number of B.C. Hydro EV chargers up to 394 ports at 130 sites across the province, with the Crown Corporation adding it hopes to increase that to 800 ports over the next 18 months.

by Liam Verster

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