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Lack of home charging infrastructure is often seen as a key barrier for consumers to adopt EVs. BC has recently introduced a new regulation that will make strata owners’ request to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations easier.
This regulation allows owners to request the installation of charging stations and determine a timeline for strata corporations to respond. The response timeline depends on whether strata have an electrical planning report (EPR).
- If the strata does not have an electrical planning report and the deadline to obtain one has not passed, the strata is not required to consider the request.
- If the strata has obtained an electrical planning report, or the deadline to obtain one has passed, council must decide whether to approve an owner’s request within 3 months after receiving the request.
- If the strata is not required to obtain an electrical planning report (it has fewer than 5 strata lots), it must consider requests received on or after December 31, 2026.
The regulations also enable strata corporations to grant permission to an owner to exclusively use a parking stall on common property that is a common asset for as long as five years if EV charging has been installed and the installation resulted from an owner’s request for EV charging.
What is Electric Planning Report (EPR)?
This is a report to help strata councils and owners understand and assess your electrical capacity for future needs.
Whether your strata corporation’s goals include cooling, heat pumps, electric vehicle charging, or other electrical systems, your electrical planning report is important to plan for the future.
EPR and EV Ready Plan share some similarities, such as the current capacity of the electrical system, the current peak demand and spare capacity, the reports have different information and purposes.
- An electrical planning report provides an overview of your electrical system to help you understand the current demand and plan for the future. The strata is required by law to obtain the report.
- An EV Ready Plan focuses on EV charging onlyand includes a budget to proceed with a defined project. The EV Ready Plan is not required by law. It exists for the purpose of applying for rebates from the Clean BC – Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program to install EV charging infrastructure.
This includescondo, townhouse, bare land, residential, commercial, hotel, industrial, and other types of strata corporations. There is no ability to waive or defer the requirement.
The electrical planning report provides a wide range of information, including, but not limited to, the current capacity of the strata corporation’s electrical system, a list of existing demands on the electrical system, peak demands of the electrical system, an estimate electrical needs for anticipated future demands. If applicable, upgrades or modifications needed to increase the current electrical capacity.
For complete details, see under Regulation 5.11(3).
When is the deadline?
The deadline to obtain an EPR depends on where the strata development locates.
- December 31, 2026: located within the Capital Regional District, Fraser Valley District, and the Metro Vancouver Regional District. Strata located on islands within these districts have until December 31, 2028 if the island is accessible only by air or boat
- December 31, 2028: in all other areas of BC
The Era of Electric Vehicles
As we are moving towards the target of 100% ZEV sold in 2035, it’s not only important to expand the public charging stations and infrastructure but also focus on home charging, where people need it the most. Lack of access to EV charging should not be the reason that prevents people from adopting electric cars, especially for those who live in strata properties.
Home charging offers peace of mind.
It’s convenient, time-saving, and flexible. You don’t need to wait in line at the public charging site during the holiday or long weekends; You have 24/7 access to your home charging without the uncertainty of available public charging; You can also control your charging schedule anywhere on your phone. Most importantly, you get to leave for work with a fully charged vehicle everyday!
