Industry resources for EV fast charging

DC fast charging, also referred to as Level 3 charging, is critical to the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Fast chargers can charge most EVs to 80% of their battery in about 30 minutes, which means they’re ideal for drivers who need to charge on the go.

We operate a growing network of fast chargers in B.C., and there are several other service networks available in the province, but the more stations, the better.

Build a fast charging station on your property

Are you a municipality, First Nation, local government or commercial property owner that’s thinking of building a public DC fast charging station on your property? Along with our subsidiary Powertech Labs, we’ve been piloting and building EV fast charging stations since 2013, and we’ve learned at lot. We’re sharing our knowledge to help improve this critical public infrastructure in B.C.

Natural Resources Canada and CleanBC Go Electric offer programs that provide capital funding for building EV fast charging stations, but the site selection, design, construction and operations are up to you.

If you’re ready to get started with your DC fast charging station plan – from site selection to budgeting and operations – we have resources to support you.

Follow our fast charging station guide

Fast charging stations require careful planning to realize the benefits over their 10+ year life in a way that supports the Government of B.C.'s CleanBC goals.

We developed a guide to help organizations better plan for creating safe, usable and reliable public EV infrastructure. This guide in intended for municipalities, First Nations, local governments, government organizations, commercial land owners and station design/construction and electrical firms.

BC Hydro's DC fast charging station guide [PDF, 3.3 MB]
Last updated March 2021

What’s in the guide?

The fast charging station guide linked above contains helpful information including:

• Potential costs and revenue sources
• Choosing a site location
• Designing a fast charging station
• Selecting contractors and equipment vendors
• Operating and maintaining a fast charging station

Share your feedback on the guide

We'd like to know what you think of the fast charging guide. Is it helpful for you? What information is it missing? What do you think of the format?

We welcome your feedback to help us improve the guide. Please send your feedback to evsupport@bchydro.com.