Kelowna looks at making EV charging stations mandatory on most new developments

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The City of Kelowna is proposing to legislate the number of electric vehicle charging stations around the city by 2023.

According to recommendations within the community electric vehicle and E-bike strategy, new residential and commercial developments would be required to be EV ready.

Recommendations being put before council would make it mandatory for all parking stalls in new residential developments be EV ready beginning in 2023 while 10 per cent of stalls in new commercial developments would have to be EV ready.

All new gas stations constructed beginning in 2023 would require "alternate fueling infrastructure," while all existing multi-use residential buildings would be required to provide "adequate" EV charging infrastructure by 2030.

The city would do its part by purchasing only zero emission light-duty vehicles by 2025 and pledge that all shared mobility made in light-duty vehicles be done in zero-emission vehicles by 2030.

The report suggests the measures are needed to encourage residents to make the switch to electric.

While Kelowna is seeing an upward trend in the number of battery and plug-in hybrid EV's being purchased, Monday's council report suggests several real or perceived barriers continue to exist including higher purchase cost, limited availability of class and model of vehicles and lack of charging options.

With the popularity of E-bikes, it is being recommended the city investigate zoning options for E-bike charging, and update local regulations to be more E-bike permissive.

"If Kelowna is to meet its climate change goals, reducing GHG emissions in the transportation sector is paramount," the report concludes.

"While the priority is shifting people to more sustainable modes, passenger vehicles will remain a dominant transportation mode for at least the next twenty years.

"EVs can significantly reduce GHG emissions from the passenger vehicle sector in BC while providing many other benefits when compared to their gasoline and diesel-powered counterparts."

Figures released by the city indicates 53 per cent of GHG emissions are related to transportation, with 90 per cent of those attributed to tailpipe emissions from light-duty vehicles.