British Columbia businesses, non-profit groups and local governments are saying yes to clean transportation by investing in another 145 electric-vehicle charging stations throughout the province. The B.C. government is assisting with a second round of funding to help organizations purchase and install Level 2 (240-volt) charging stations in various communities.

The newly funded stations will be distributed throughout the province in communities like Kamloops, Prince George, Houston, Fernie and Richmond. More than 60 per cent of the charging stations in this round are being installed by businesses, an indicator that electric vehicles are moving into the mainstream, and B.C. companies recognize the value in providing their customers with the ability to charge their cars.

The 145 new stations are being installed by 41 different organizations. (See the backgrounder below for the names of these organizations and the communities where they plan to install the new charging stations.)

For example, Gibsons Recycling Depot is receiving funding for two, Level 2 charging stations. As a small business centrally located in Upper Gibsons, the company will be making the stations available to the public seven days a week. Gibsons Recycling Depot is also adding electric vehicles to its fleet to service its community curbside recycling and collection program.

The funding is part of the $2.7-million Community Charging Infrastructure (CCI) Fund announced in April by Environment Minister Terry Lake. As with the previous round of CCI funding announced in September, approval is for 75 per cent of the cost of purchasing and installing charging stations, up to $4,000 per station. Combined with the charging-station funding previously announced, this brings the total number of CCI Fund-supported charging stations in the province to 418.

The locations of up to an additional 152 charging stations will be made available later this month - bringing the total number of stations being installed under the CCI Fund to 570. These charging stations are part of a planning grant process in which 12 local and regional governments were awarded funding to allow them to prioritize and plan for charging-station deployments in their respective jurisdictions.

The CCI Fund is managed, administered and promoted by the Fraser Basin Council. The purpose of the fund is to support a network of charging stations provincewide. All stations must be installed by March 31, 2013.

The Community Charging Infrastructure Fund is part of the B.C. government's $14.3-million Clean Energy Vehicle Program, which includes the CEVforBC(tm) Point of Sale Incentive Program and the LiveSmart BC Residential Charging Point Rebate Program.

The CEVforBC(tm)program provides B.C. residents with up to $5,000 off the pre-tax sticker price for qualifying new battery electric, fuel-cell electric, plug-in hybrid electric and compressed natural gas vehicles until March 31, 2013.

The LiveSmart BC Residential Charging Point Rebate Program provides rebates of up to $500 per unit for residential electric charging stations that meet identified eligibility requirements until March 31, 2013.

Quotes:

Terry Lake, Minister of Environment -

"These 145 charging stations we are announcing today mark another step toward making electrical vehicles a realistic option for British Columbians. By making it more convenient for clean energy vehicle owners, such as myself, to charge their cars, businesses and other organizations are encouraging environmentally friendly transportation options and reducing emissions provincewide."

Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas -

"More charging stations throughout the province make it easier for British Columbia families to choose a climate friendly fuel like made-in-B.C. electricity and in doing so reduce their transportation energy costs."

Buddy Boyd, owner, Gibsons Recycling Depot -

"As we enter our tenth year of operating Gibsons Recycling Depot, the demand for a pick-up service for recyclables in our community has increased. Since we operate as a social enterprise and are zero waste advocates, it made sense to us to switch our fleet from diesel to electric. We hope our decision to install electric-vehicle charging stations and to make them available to the public will help others in choosing to move to more sustainable transportation."

David Marshall, executive director, Fraser Basin Council -

"We have been pleased to administer the Community Charging Infrastructure Fund. Electric vehicles are the cleanest available in B.C., so it's encouraging to see such keen interest across the province in hosting public charging stations. That's good news for drivers and for everyone interested in cleaner air."

Learn More:

BC Newsroom - Ministry of Environment: http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/ministries/environment-1

Clean Energy Vehicle Program: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/cas/mitigation/cev.html

CEVforBC(tm): www.cevforbc.ca

LiveSmart BC Residential Charging Point Rebate Program: LiveSmartBC.ca/incentives/transportation/CEV-rebates.html#residential

Community Charging Infrastructure Fund administered by the Fraser Basin Council: www.PlugInBC.ca

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contact:

Stuart Bertrand
Communications
Ministry of Environment
250 387-9630

BACKGROUNDER

Organizations and charging stations

As part of the $2.7-million CCI Fund, 41 organizations will be installing an additional 145, Level 2, electric-vehicle charging stations. The newly announced organizations and the number of charging stations to be installed - as well as the communities they are to be installed in - are as follows:

• British Columbia Automobile Association (4) - Burnaby
• Best Western International Inc. (3) - Tofino, Coquitlam, Valemount
• Wheatberries Bakery Ltd./Blue Pacific Energy (1) - Gibsons
• British Columbia Institute of Technology (3) - Burnaby
• Burnaby Association for Community Inclusion (2) - Burnaby
• Chase Equipment and Supply Ltd. (2) - Chase
• City of Fernie (1)
• City of Kamloops (1)
• City of Port Alberni (4)
• City of Rossland (4)
• Computrol/Bentall Kennedy (8) - Richmond
• Cowichan Valley Regional District (2) - Shawnigan Lake
• District of Houston (2)
• Egmont Heritage Centre (2)
• Fab-All Mfg. Ltd. (2) - Port Coquitlam
• FortisBC Inc. (4) - Kelowna, Trail
• Fraser Health Authority (6) - Burnaby, North Vancouver, New Westminster
• Fraser Valley Regional District (5) - Chilliwack, Hope, Boston Bar
• Gibsons Recycling Depot (2)
• Guildford Town Centre (2) - Surrey
• HESPV (1) - Victoria
• Hollyhock (2) - Cortes Island
• Impark (2) - Coquitlam
• Lions Bay General Store & Café (2)
• Morguard Investments Ltd. (2) - Coquitlam
• Nedco (6) - Richmond, Prince George, Victoria
• North West Community College (2) - Terrace
• Pitt Meadows Airport Society (2)
• Relova Holdings Ltd. (1) - Gibsons
• Royal Bay Bakery Ltd. (1) - Metchosin
• Salter Holdings (2) - Port Hardy
• SFU Community Trust/UniverCity (4) - Burnaby
• Simon Fraser University (6) - Burnaby
• T'Sou-ke Nation (1) - Sooke
• The Bay Centre (4) - Victoria
• The University of British Columbia (10) - Vancouver
• Tourism Valemount (2)
• Village of Burns Lake (2)
• Village of Pemberton (2)
• Walmart Canada/CarCharging Canada Inc. (28) - Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Duncan, Langford, Langley, Nanaimo, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Port Alberni, Surrey, Victoria
• West Coast Railway Association (1) - Squamish
• Yarrow Central Enterprises (Yarrow Ecovillage) (2) - Chilliwack

Media Contact:

Stuart Bertrand
Communications
Ministry of Environment
250 387-9630