Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Nanaimo now have a new fast-charging option that beats Tesla on both speed and price. BC Hydro has opened a new charging station featuring 400 kilowatt (kW) chargers that deliver more power at a lower per-kWh cost than the nearby Tesla Supercharger.
Located in the parking lot of Rock City Centre at 2980 Island Highway, the new site is the first on Vancouver Island to feature BC Hydro’s 400 kW DC fast chargers. The station includes two 400 kW units capable of adding up to 100 kilometres of range to an average EV in about three minutes.
Thanks to power-sharing technology, each charger can serve two vehicles at once, delivering up to 200 kW per vehicle and helping reduce congestion during peak hours.
In addition, the site includes two 180 kW fast chargers, each also capable of power sharing. In total, up to eight EVs can charge simultaneously across the four units.
The chargers are equipped with CCS, NACS, and CHAdeMO connectors, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of vehicles, including Teslas, newer EV models, and older vehicles still using legacy standards.
Beyond speed, the Nanaimo station stands out on price. Charging costs $0.36 per kilowatt hour (kWh), making it both faster and cheaper than the nearby Tesla Supercharger, which reaches peak speeds of 250kW and charges $0.45/kWh between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. (but $0.28/kWh during off-peak hours). For EV drivers, that combination of higher power and lower cost makes the BC Hydro site a compelling alternative—especially during busy travel periods.
“This new electric vehicle charge hub in Nanaimo continues our work with BC Hydro and other partners to make cleaner options more accessible and affordable for all British Columbians,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “With more than 800 BC Hydro charging ports now available in communities throughout B.C., we are building a public charging network that’s ready to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles and will support economic growth in our province.”
The Rock City Centre station adds to BC Hydro’s existing fast-charging presence in Nanaimo, which already includes locations at the Nanaimo Convention Centre and the Real Canadian Superstore. Together, the three sites now provide 11 public fast-charging ports across the city.
The Nanaimo launch follows BC Hydro’s first deployment of 400 kW chargers earlier this month at a new station in Burnaby.
BC Hydro says more 400 kW chargers are planned for 2026, with a focus on large, high-capacity stations along highway corridors and in densely populated areas.
