One year later: Saanich’s EV Ready rebate top-ups for multifamily buildings

October 25, 2022

News release
For immediate release

Saanich resident Jim Hindson recharges using newly installed EV infrastructure in his 245-unit complex.


Saanich, BC – Saanich is pleased to share that the municipal top-up rebate program for multifamily buildings looking to install EV chargers is helping create 474 EV Ready parking stalls since launching last fall.

EV Ready means electrical infrastructure has been installed and a parking stall is ready to accommodate an EV charger. In just over a year, this new funding has helped create hundreds of EV Ready parking stalls in Saanich, making ‘at-home’ charging more accessible for residents in multifamily buildings while also preparing these buildings for a future where all passenger vehicles are electric.

The Saanich program was created with the understanding that access to at-home EV charging is a critical factor for most households in choosing an EV for their next vehicle. By topping up existing provincial rebates provided through the CleanBC Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program, this program is also helping to support the Province’s Zero-Emission Vehicles Act which requires that 100% of passenger car and truck sales be zero-emissions by 2035.

Many residents at a 245-unit complex in Saanich are appreciative of the forward-thinking that made the building’s recent retrofit a reality and are now installing EV chargers in their parking spaces. "Now that I have an EV charger in my parking stall at my condo, I can receive a full charge every night, which makes meeting my day-to-day driving needs easier than ever," said Saanich resident Jim Hindson.

As President of the Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association (VISOA), Wendy Wall encourages strata corporations in Saanich to take advantage of this program: “Saanich has been a leader in understanding the needs of condominium strata owners and providing rebates that help them plan and install the systems needed to support EV charging. We’ve enjoyed partnering with Saanich over the last year to provide information that leads strata owners, councils and property managers through every step of the rebate and installation processes.”

Rebate information

The ongoing municipal rebates are integrated with existing provincial rebates:

  • Up to $3,000 (or 75% of the costs) for an EV Ready Plan to guide decision-making PLUS a $1,000 top-up incentive from the District of Saanich.
  • Up to $600 per parking space (up to $120,000 per building or 50% of costs) to implement EV Ready upgrades PLUS a $100/stall top-up incentive from the District of Saanich.
  • Up to $14,000 in incentives for EV charging stations.
  • VISOA’s videos lead strata councils through each of the three rebates listed above.

Providing rebates for EV Ready building retrofits is one of the ways the Province and the District of Saanich are helping people transition to electric vehicles and towards a low-carbon future. Saanich recognizes the unique challenges that condominium strata owners face in moving forward with building upgrades and is seeing the funding for EV Ready Plans help more and more buildings get started with the retrofit process.

“We are pleased to see such a high degree of interest in the program, and most importantly, that residents are going from the planning stage all the way through to implementation to make their buildings ready for electric vehicles”, says Rebecca Newlove, Manager of Sustainability at Saanich. “EVs are a really important part of climate action and with programs such as this we can ensure that people living in condos or apartment buildings won’t be left behind in this transition.”

How it works

The CleanBC Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program is funded by the Ministry of Energy,

Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and administered by BC Hydro in this region. The program

provides rebates for an EV Ready plan, the electrical upgrades needed to make parking spaces EV Ready and the EV charging stations. An EV Ready Plan outlines how your building will provide each residential unit with at least one EV Ready parking space and is required to be eligible for an EV Ready electrical infrastructure rebate.

Once the electrical infrastructure is installed, it is an easier process for building residents to get permission to install Level 2 charging stations in their parking stalls. To help buildings get started and ensure guidance and support is available at each step of the process, access to a CleanBC EV Advisor or assistance from VISOA is available at no cost.

Learn more

Saanich is working with the Capital Regional District and other local governments to help connect condo owners with an EV Advisor or VISOA through the local Charge Your Ride initiative. If you’re ready to go electric and begin the process of planning upgrades to support EV charging in your building but are not sure where to begin, click on the links below to sign up for the following upcoming events and webinars:

 

Associated links

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Media contact:
Erika Schade
Communications Advisor
erika.schade@saanich.ca
250-475-7638