Zero-emission cars accounted for almost 10 percent of vehicle sales in British Columbia in 2020. This brings the province to the top of the ‘highest electric vehicle uptake’ list in North America.
“With the highest reported uptake rates of EVs in North America, B.C. is quickly becoming a leader in the EV industry,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, in a recent statement.
As per the Zero Emission Vehicle Update 2020, there were 54,469 light-duty electric vehicles registered in B.C. as of December 30th, 2020, with over 2,500 public charging stations scattered around the province. This makes B.C. one of the largest public charging networks and the first cluster of public hydrogen fueling stations in Canada.
The high uptake in electric vehicles is at least partially thanks to the provincial government’s CleanBC EV Charger Rebate Program. The rebate helps potential electric vehicle buyers with the upfront costs of EV infrastructure.
As per the annual report, “Homeowners can get up to a $350 (temporarily increased to $700) CleanBC rebate to install a Level two charging station in a single-family home. Up to a $2,000 (temporarily increased to $4,000) rebate is available for the installation of a Level two charging station designed for multiple users in condominiums, apartments and workplaces.”
In May 2019, B.C. passed the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, which requires automobile makers to meet zero-emission vehicle sales targets. The target is set to 10 percent by 2025, 30 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040. British Columbia currently sits at 9.4 percent new electric vehicle registrations and aims to exceed the goal set for 2025.
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