When Kaleden, B.C., resident, Lyle Roemer, went to build a new garage, he had the space wired for a future electric vehicle (EV) charger while also planning for an increase in service to accommodate the added load.
However, Roemer was shocked to hear the estimated cost of the upgrade.
According to Roemer, the more than $5,000 cost is largely due to the older electrical infrastructure and the existing system in the subdivision as well as his location to the FortisBC transformer.
“When you put in that application, they send it to the electrician department and they came back and said because this was for the old subdivision, we have to upgrade some of the infrastructure,” Roemer said.
“That means a new pole, a new transformer at my house to service this load.”
In an email to Global News, FortisBC said this is something that they’ve seen in the past as more homeowners use electricity for more things in their homes. Often an upgrade of the existing equipment is needed to meet capacity needs.
“Through the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, FortisBC works with the provincial government to offer rebates for installing charging stations in homes, multi-unit residential buildings, and workplaces,” said FortisBC in a release.
Although Roemer’s estimate is location specific, he believes it demonstrates that system infrastructure is not ready for the major push of electric vehicles.
“There’s lots of wiring that if even just three or ten people start adding on, eventually the pole structure all the way back to the transformers and substations, they’re going to have to be upgraded — it’s going to cause a huge amount on infrastructure upgrades, and that’ll have to be passed down to ratepayers at some point,” he said.
“I just want to make sure people are aware of yes, okay, great I want to put an electric vehicle charger in my house. Well, ask all the questions before you get too far into it because you might be surprised.”
In Penticton, the city has launched a new program to allow apartment buildings to figure out just how much it would cost to install an EV charger.
According to the City of Penticton’s Sustainability Supervisor David Kassian, they’ve already received a number of applications for the free ‘EV Ready Plans.’
“Speaking to some stratas, a barrier to them was the upfront cost of the plan itself. Oftentimes the plans are very comprehensive, and they can cost about $4,000 to implement. There are rebates back from the government, but it’s still that upfront cost that is troublesome for some stratas to move forward on,” Kassian said.
“EV Ready Plans are a specialized report that lets multi-unit apartment buildings know what it will take to get one energized stall per residential unit — we set aside a certain amount of funds for about 15 buildings to prepare those EV Ready Plans.”
Funding for the EV Ready program is coming in part from the City’s new Blue Skies Transportation Fund.
Meanwhile, FortisBC said as more people in B.C.’s Southern Interior transition to electric vehicles, the company’s network of public EV charging stations continues to see huge growth in usage.
“Exceeding 30,000 charging events to date,” read the FortisBC release.
“FortisBC’s EV network includes 42 fast-charging stations across 20 communities in the Southern Interior, with the majority of the stations placed along major highway corridors, allowing drivers to travel through the region with confidence.”
For now, Roemer says with the costs of installation a charge at home might have to wait.
“To upgrade a small amount and then you face those costs, it really kind of doesn’t justify the move to EV vehicle for us,” he said.