Electric Vehicle charging station use takes climb after seeing a drop early in pandemic

VANCOUVER–While the use of public Electric Vehicle charging stations dropped at the beginning of the pandemic, things are looking up.

According to BC Hydro in February, pre-pandemic, there were more than 21,000 charging sessions at BC Hydro’s 70 fast-charging stations across the province. When stay-at-home measures were placed in mid-March, that number dropped by close to 20 per cent, and in April charging sessions had dropped by nearly 30 per cent more to 12,700.

But since then, BC Hydro reports seeing a steady increase in the amount of charging sessions, increasing by almost 50 per cent since their lowest point in April. The month of June recorded 20,000 charging sessions, which is almost on par with pre-pandemic levels.

The majority of BC Hydro fast-charging stations are located within 300 metres of a major road or highway. BC Hydro adds that the frequency of charging at its highway stations indicates more British Columbians are commuting or taking road trips in EV’s, despite what a survey conducted on behalf of BC Hydro found last year where close to 70 per cent of British Columbians said they were hesitant to purchase an EV because they don’t think it can travel long distances.