Electric vehicle drivers throughout British Columbia’s Okanagan and Boundary Country regions now have more high-speed charging options.
FortisBC this month announced the opening of three new high-powered EV charging stations in Rock Creek and Kelowna in addition to accessibility upgrades.
The new stations include a 150-kilowatt charger at the Rock Creek Visitor Centre in Rock Creek and 180-kW chargers at Rutland Centennial Park and the Okanagan Heritage Museum in Kelowna.
With two ports each, the stations offer solutions for both light-duty vehicles and medium-duty EVs, including delivery trucks and panel vans, with contactless payment options available.
“Our charging stations provide quick, convenient, and reliable EV charging,” says Phil Horacek, who functions as director of low carbon transportation at FortisBC.
FortisBC now owns and operates 45 Direct Charge Fast Charging stations at 22 sites across B.C.’s Southern Interior.
The company’s charging network connects 1,000 kilometres of highway between the 20 communities hosting FortisBC’s fast chargers.
Horacek says that “our goal is to make sure EV drivers can travel with confidence across the Southern Interior region and that we can meet the growing needs of customers who are making lower-emission choices for transportation.”
He notes that drivers have charged up their vehicles more than 100,000 times at FortisBC stations since the first one launched in 2018.
“This is a welcome upgrade that will really benefit our region,” commented Grace McGregor, who chairs the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary organization.
The Riverside Centre in Rock Creek “has become one of the most significant EV charging hubs in the Boundary,” she commented, “and this latest investment makes it even better.”
“Adding an even faster charger to the three fast chargers already at this strategic location is a fantastic enhancement that will benefit all who pass through Rock Creek,” McGregor stated, adding: “The accessibility improvements are another welcome addition that makes the site even better for everyone.”
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