After finishing construction back in the fall of last year, then sitting behind a fence for most of the winter, BC Hydro’s new fast chargers are now open after a crew came to town Friday, February 23 to pull down the fence and activate the charger.
The new charger can move up to 180 kw of energy, though only a few vehicles (from the Hyundi Ioniq 5, which can suck down 350 kw of power, to the Rivian R1T, which can accept 200 kw of power) can charge that fast.
More importantly, each of the two new chargers can split, charging two vehicles up to 90 kw each, meaning up to four vehicles can charge at the same time.
One charger has two Combo Charging System (CCS) chargers, while the other one has a CCS connector and a CHAdeMO connector.
The other common plug system is the Tesla connector. However, that does not mean Tesla owners are out of luck; instead, they simply need to have an appropriate adaptor.
In May of 2020 that the town was approached by BC Hydro to participate in the BC Clean Energy Vehicle Program. At the time, the plan was to have the chargers up and running by September, 2023. But then BC Hydro announced the new, high speed chargers and that Tumbler Ridge was slated to get one of the first in the province.
Up until these new chargers came on stream, BC Hydro’s EV Charging network topped out at 50 kw, alongside a mix of 25 kw chargers and Level 2 chargers.
While BC Hydro’s 180 kw stations are slower than Tesla Superchargers, which offer up to 250 kilowatts, it is a far cry from the level 2 charger located at the Visitor Information Centre, which tops out at about 10 kw.
Still, according to Geopark Executive Director Manda Maggs, plans are to keep that one there. It’s free, she says, and, while it doesn’t charge nearly as fast, there may be times when the other charge station is full.
BC Hydro has announced a similar charge station in Mackenzie, as well as Manning Park and Surrey, both in Southwest BC.
While Electric Vehicles have not been a common sight in Tumbler Ridge, that’s changing, with more than 120,000 EVs on the road in BC already, a number expected to grow to close to a million in the next decade.
“Our recent research found that of the 40 per cent of British Columbians looking to purchase a new vehicle in the next three years, many are considering an electric vehicle,” says Chris O’Riley, President and CEO of BC Hydro. “We are listening to the feedback from our customers who tell us they are looking for more charging options and higher-powered chargers to join our fast charging network, and we are excited to begin the installation of these 180-kilowatt units later this fall.”
BC Hydro currently offers 153 charging units at 84 sites in communities throughout BC. BC Hydro is looking to add 3,000 ports to its network over the next ten years. The chargers are funded in a partnership with the Province of BC and Natural Resources Canada.
“BC is a great place to drive an electric vehicle as 98 per cent of electricity generated comes from clean and renewable resources, helping drivers significantly reduce their carbon footprint”, says BC Hydro.
For more details visit www.electricvehicles.bchydro.com
Above Photo: The BC Hydro “Powered by Water” car topping up at the now open charge station in the parking lot behind the bank.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
