BC Hydro Fast EV Charging - Fees starting May 1st, 2021

[zenity]

Hey folks,

I just got an email from BCHydro and it seems like they're planning to charge for their Level 3 DC chargers in BC. Ranges from $0.12/minute to $0.27/minute depending on how fast their chargers are. I was really hoping they would be able to charge per kWh by now

Here's an excerpt from the email I received:

On March 23, the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) provided interim approval of charging rates for our fast charging stations.

Starting May 1, 2021, the following interim rates will apply:

• $0.12 per minute for 25kW DC fast chargers (currently in Hope, Squamish and Horseshoe Bay)
• $0.21 per minute for 50kW DC fast chargers (all remaining locations)
• $0.27 per minute for 100kW DC fast chargers (for future use – not yet deployed)

 

[MexiCanuck]

I have mixed feelings about the calculation method. On one hand, I would like the idea of being able to pay for what I am receiving. On the other hand, hopefully it will encourage drivers to "charge efficiently". It can be irritating to be waiting and waiting while a Bolt charges at its excruciatingly slow rate and someone else slowly charges from 90% to 95%.

Regarding the Bolt...

DC Fast charging

1 hour 20 minutes

Charging a Chevy Volt: Everything You Need to Know

Get a high level understanding of how to charge a Chevy Bolt, how long it will take and how much a charger will cost.

www.energysage.com

"So we drove a 2020 Bolt EV down to 4% state of charge and plugged it into a 150 kW Electrify America DC fast charge station and recorded the entire charging session in a 10X time-lapse video. The Bolt EV took 69 minutes to reach 80% and accepted 51 kWh. That's just too long to get to 80% in our opinion."

Watch A 2020 Chevy Bolt EV DC Fast Charging From 4% to 80%

We record a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV charging at an Electrify America DC fast charging station from 4% to 80% to see just how long it takes.

insideevs.com

Hopefully those drivers will be encouraged to charge efficiently and make the station available.

I'm glad to see that BC Hydro believes it is able to put a price on charging. It suggests the EV presence is growing to the level that "free charging" is no longer a necessary incentive.

 

[Tz00]

I was really hoping they would be able to charge per kWh by now

It is a federal restriction that they are not allowed to charge per kWh. They are working on changing the rules, but will likely be mid 2022 at the earliest.

Electric vehicle charging stations

An approved and certified measurement system is integral to accurate and reliablemeasurement of electricity. The Electricity and Gas Inspection Act (EGIA) and regulations requirethat we approve and recertify at prescribed intervals measuring devices used to determine a feefor electricity...

www.ic.gc.ca

Measurement Canada to transition to per-kWh billing for EV charging

For electric vehicle (EV) owners in Canada, the amount you pay for a ‘fill-up’ at a public EV charger isn’t always equitable. The reason is the requirement by Measurement Canada that EV charging stations can […]

driveteslacanada.ca

 

[angus[Y]oung]

@Tz00 I thought the issue was that only utility companies were allowed to bill by the kWh under the current rules? If that's true, and given that BC Hydro is a utility (they are regulated by BCUC), wouldn't they be allowed to charge that way?

 

[Tz00]

@Tz00 I thought the issue was that only utility companies were allowed to bill by the kWh under the current rules? If that's true, and given that BC Hydro is a utility (they are regulated by BCUC), wouldn't they be allowed to charge that way?

No they are not, as per the laws, from the link above:

What are the billing methods for charging electric vehicles?​

In Canada, possible billing methods for charging electric vehicles include flat fee (charge per use, charge per month) and time-based (charge per amount of time) billing. EV charging can also be provided free of charge or included in the amount charged for another service (e.g. as part of the rate for parking the vehicle).​

 

[woppa]

On a related note, is there any way to search for free charging stations using plugshare and have it navigate in Tesla Model 3?

 

[Xelloss99]

On a related note, is there any way to search for free charging stations using plugshare and have it navigate in Tesla Model 3?

To navigate to a Plugshare location (at least on Android) click on the map or pushpin on the charger info on Plugshare then share with "Tesla" app.