Radium Hot Springs now has a second electric vehicle charging station available for residents and visitors.
BC Hydro officials said this comes with the addition of a new 50-kilowatt charging unit.
“Having recently bought an electric vehicle I know how important it is – especially for those of us living in more remote and rural areas – to know there are charging stations we can rely upon for a fast charge along the way,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
“This expanded site in Radium Hot Springs is another step in our work with BC Hydro and other partners to expand our public charging network so more people, no matter where they are in B.C., can make the switch to an electric vehicle and start saving money on gas and lowering their carbon emissions.”
The site originally opened up in Dec. 2017 at the Radium Community Centre.
“A new EV charger will be a great addition for Radium Hot Springs, our residents and our many visitors,” says Mike Gray, Mayor of the Village of Radium Hot Springs. “Radium’s location at the border of Kootenay National Park means we are the first stop or last chance to charge up for people using the Highway 93 mountain pass, and the extra capacity that will come from the new EV charging station will be well used.”
BC Hydro officials said this charging unit can add up to 50 kilometres of driving to an EV in about 10 minutes.
The second charging station became fully operational as of Thursday.
“As the primary fuel supplier for electric vehicles, we are building out charging infrastructure to ensure we can accommodate the volume and variety of electric vehicles that will be on B.C. roads in the coming years,” says Chris O’Riley, President and CEO of BC Hydro. “BC Hydro will have 325 charging units in its network at 145 sites by the end of 2025.”