It took just one day for B.C. Hydro’s Houston fast charging station for electric vehicles to welcome its first customer.
The station, located in the parking lot behind 3487 9th St., officially went into service March 2 and its first user, identified only as Mike driving a Kia Soul electric vehicle, plugged in March 3.
‘Yay, open now,’ noted Mike on the website called ‘Chargepoint’ where electric vehicle drivers can locate charging stations and record their observations.
The BC Hydro station, along with BC Hydro ones just opened in New Hazelton and Fraser Lake, continue the slow but methodical increase in the number of fast charging stations for electric vehicles along Hwy16 west of Prince George.
These are Level 3 stations, enabling drivers to more quickly charge their vehicles with B.C. Hydro saying a 10-minute charge can add 50 kilometres of driving to the average electric vehicle.
The provincial crown corporation does charge for their use with a rate, for example, at the 50kW power level being 21 cents a minute.
The provincial transportation ministry is also adding charging fast charging stations along Hwy16 west of Prince Rupert but unlike BC Hydro, does not charge for their use.
BC Hydro’s provincewide fast charging network currently includes 110 fast charging units at 76 sites in communities throughout B.C. Its closest charger to Houston is on Second Avenue in Smithers.
It also has charging stations in Prince Rupert and Burns Lake and is putting ones in Kitimat and Vanderhoof.
BC Hydro is paying for the charger stations, which cost an estimated $250,000 each, with money from the provincial and federal governments.
Its Fraser Lake station is a pull through so that large electric trucks and vehicles towing trailers can more easily stop and charge up.
In the meantime, Houston is in line for another charging outlet but it will be a Level 2 charger which charges vehicles at a slower rate than a Level 3.
This Level 2 station is to be part of a network of stations going in through local governments from the Cariboo up Hwy97 and along Hwy16.
These are meant to encourage tourism spending in that electric vehicle drivers and their passengers will have time to eat and shop while waiting for their vehicles to charge up.