BC funds 328 EV charging ports with C$19.1M

British Columbia said on April 1 it would spend C$19.1 million to fund 75 new public electric-vehicle charging projects across the province, adding 328 charging ports at public sites. The funding will build 277 direct-current fast-charger ports and 51 Level 2 ports, according to a Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions release. The announcement came as the province also moved to lower its 2035 zero-emission vehicle sales target to 75% from 100%. Officials said the charging buildout is meant to support EV drivers as vehicle adoption continues to rise in British Columbia. ### Where is the money going? The C$19.1 million will support projects in 41 communities, including Vancouver, Richmond, Kamloops and Revelstoke, according to the provincial release and related coverage citing the program details. The province said the projects are being funded through the CleanBC Go Electric public charger program. The 328 new ports break down into 277 DC fast chargers and 51 Level 2 chargers. (news.gov.bc.ca) DC fast chargers are the higher-speed units typically used on highway corridors and at public quick-stop locations, while Level 2 chargers are more commonly used for longer dwell times. The province did not, in the April 1 release excerpt, publish a full project-by-project cost breakdown in the summary text returned in search results. ### Why did the province pair chargers with a change to EV sales targets? The April 1 release tied the charging announcement to amendments to British Columbia’s Zero-Emission Vehicles Act. The province said it would reduce the 2035 ZEV sales target to 75% from 100% and align its legislative changes with federal ZEV goals. (news.gov.bc.ca) The same release said the charging investment would help support the broader ZEV ecosystem as automakers and consumers adjust to the updated rules. The Canadian Charging Infrastructure Council, in a statement quoted in the archived provincial release, said it welcomed funding for 328 new charger ports across the province under the CleanBC Go Electric public charger program. (archive.news.gov.bc.ca) ### How large is British Columbia’s charging network already? British Columbia said in March 2024 that Budget 2024 included C$30 million to add more than 500 public charging stations to more than 5,000 already available across the province. That earlier announcement described the buildout as part of the province’s “electric highway” strategy. By April 2026, outside coverage citing provincial figures said British Columbia had more than 8,800 public charging ports, up 86% since 2023. (archive.news.gov.bc.ca) The same reports said nearly 230,000 zero-emission vehicles were on B.C. roads. Reuters could not independently verify those figures beyond the summaries available in the sourced material, but they are consistent with the province’s broader account of rapid network expansion. (news.gov.bc.ca) ### Which program is paying for the projects? The CleanBC Go Electric public charger program is the funding vehicle named in the April 1 announcement. CleanBC is the province’s broader climate and clean-energy framework, and the charger program has been used in prior rounds to support public charging infrastructure. The 2026 funding round adds to earlier provincial investments. (globalrenewablenews.com) In 2023, British Columbia announced C$26 million for public charging stations, and in 2024 it announced another C$30 million to expand the network. Those earlier rounds show the province has continued to use direct public funding to build out charging access alongside EV adoption targets. ### What happens next for drivers and project hosts? (news.gov.bc.ca) The April 1 release said the money would fund 75 public charging projects, but the search-result excerpts do not give commissioning dates for each site. That means the next practical milestone is the publication of site-level project details and the start of installation work by approved recipients. Project updates are expected to appear through British Columbia government release channels and CleanBC Go Electric program materials. (news.gov.bc.ca) The province’s previous charging announcements have included follow-up information on locations, highway coverage and in-service dates as projects move toward completion. (news.gov.bc.ca 1) (news.gov.bc.ca 2)