Rebate Programs for Residential and Commercial EV Charging in BC

Electric vehicles are surging in popularity across the country for many reasons including saving money on gas, emissions-free motoring, reduced lifetime maintenance and costs, improved battery performance and an increase in options on the market.

The one thing that still holds some vehicle owners back from making the switch to an electric vehicle is concern over the ability to charge the vehicle quickly and conveniently.

Of course, electric vehicles (EVs) do need regular charging, depending on their range, and while there are more public charging stations opening, there is also higher demand for those charging spots.

While EVs can be charged at home on your regular 120v wiring, charging this way will be slow. More often, EV owners are choosing to upgrade to a Level 2 (240v) charging station for faster and more convenient charging at their home or workplace.

The good news is that there are a number of national and provincial (BC) rebates available for those buying EVs and upgrading their charging systems.

Save on Brand-New Electric Vehicles with National and Federal Rebates

If you’ve been on the fence for a while about committing to the change to an electric vehicle, now really is the time to do it. There are both National and BC provincial rebates that can add up to a total of $8,000 off a new EV – that’s enough to pay for electric charging for quite a few years.

If you are purchasing a new Electric Vehicle, be sure to look into:

Federal Rebate – iZEV (Incentives for Zero Emissions Vehicles) program
British Columbia Provincial Rebate – Clean BC Go Electric Vehicle Rebate Program

When claimed together, these programs offer a combined rebate of:

Up to $8,000 for the purchase (or lease) of

Battery Electric Vehicles
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles
Long range Plug-In Hybrid vehicles

Or up to $4,000 for

Short-range plug-in hybrid vehicles

Rebates are applied at the point of purchase via the car dealership. Check out this list of eligible electric vehicles for their combined rebate allowance.

Charging Your Electric Vehicle – Where Can You Do It?

Once you have purchased your EV, the most important thing to consider is where and how you are going to charge it. Most new electric vehicles come with standard charging equipment that connects to a regular 120v power source so you can begin charging right away.

EV charging can be done at:

Home – with the standard electric vehicle chargers or upgrade to a Level 2, 240v charger
Public charging station – found at parking lots or shopping malls. Usually free of charge, but time is usually limited.
Pay for charging station – these public charging stations charge a fee but are Level 2 chargers so charging is much faster
At work – more workplaces are installing charging stations for staff. You can ask your place of work to consider this as rebates are available for this kind of installation.

Why is Upgrading to a Level 2 Charger a Good Idea?

For any EV owner who plans to use their vehicle daily, fast and convenient charging is important. When choosing a home EV charger, consider upgrading to a Level 2 charger for these benefits:

A Level 2 charger creates 6.2 – 7.4kwh of charge, compared to 1.4kwh with a level 1 charger
A level 1 charger will produce approximately 8km of driving range per 1 hour on charge, whereas a Level 2 charger will produce up to 30km of range per hour.
A level 1 charger will take 12-20 hours to fully charge an EV, compared to 6-14 hours for a Level 2 charger.

Remember, working with electricity can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Residential Level 2 EV chargers should always be installed by an EV charging installation expert like Kobalt Systems.

Save on Fast EV Charging with These Rebate Programs

In British Columbia, rebates are available towards the cost of purchase and installation of Level 2 EV chargers in single-family homes, multi-unit residential buildings and on business premises.

The rebates, managed by BC Hydro under the Clean BC Go Electric Charger Rebate Program, can be applied for as follows:

Single Family Home Owners (including duplexes and townhomes with garages or designated parking):

Rebate of 50% (up to $350) of purchase and installation of a Level 2 charger

Apartment / Condo owners can apply for the EV Ready Rebate, which consists of three parts that can be applied for together or separately:

EV Ready Plan – Rebate of up to $3,000 for creation of a plan to make at least 1 parking space per unit EV ready
EV Ready Infrastructure – Rebate of 50% (Up to $600 per space) for the cost of installing electrical infrastructure to support Level 2 charging. Up to a maximum rebate of $80,000 per project
EV Charger Rebate – Rebate of $1,400 per charger purchased and installed to a maximum $14,000 per project.

Business owners and commercial workplaces – can apply the Stand-Alone EV Charger Rebate at up to 4 workplace locations:

Rebate of $2,000 per unit to purchase and install Level 2 EV chargers for use by employees only.
Condo owners can also choose to apply this rebate instead of the EV Ready rebate.

Tip: Rebates for this program can be claimed after the work has been completed so make sure you check and keep the paperwork and receipts that are required.

Let Kobalt Systems Guide You Through EV Charger Installation and Rebates

If you are planning to purchase an Electric Vehicle and want to install a Level 2 charger, or you are looking to install charging systems at your apartment building or workplace, Kobalt Systems is here to help.

Depending on the vehicle you have chosen, we can recommend the best charger options for you, install the charging system on-site at your home or workplace and provide the information and paperwork you require to claim your rebates.

Kobalt Systems, based in Victoria and serving southern Vancouver Island, offers EV charging station installation in single-family homes, multi-family developments and at business locations. Contact us today to arrange an on-site visit and quote.