Electric vehicle (EV) drivers have so far been able to plug in for free at the more than 1,000 public charging stations in the BC Hydro charging network, including 70 DC fast chargers located along major highways in the province.
In an application to the B.C. Utilities Commission dated March 5, the provincial utility company has outlined the rates they hope to begin charging drivers later this spring.
UPDATE: The rates have been provisionally approved.
Starting May 1, 2021, plugging in at a BC Hydro EV charger will cost you as little as $0.12/minute to as much as $0.27/minute, depending on the speed of the charging station.
- $0.12/minute pro-rated on a per second basis for 25kw stations (Rate Schedule 1360)
- $0.21/minute pro-rated on a per second basis for 50kw stations (Rate Schedule 1560)
- $0.27/minute pro-rated on a per second basis for 100kw stations (Rate Schedule 1561)
The charging rates are quite reasonable, but surprisingly are being charged by the minute. Although Measurement Canada is working to change it, currently only registered utility companies, which BC Hydro is, are allowed to charge per kWh, and not by the amount of time plugged in.
Related: BC Hydro to host public EV charging engagement session on proposed user fees
Although not as fast, the rates are also competitive compared to Tesla Superchargers. In B.C. Tesla owners pay between $0.22 and $0.44 per minute to charge their vehicles.
