Accelerate Kootenays Pilot Project

The non-profit Community Energy Association (CEA) is conducting a pilot project to mainstream plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles (EVs) in collaboration with the Regional Districts of East Kootenay, Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary. Key objectives of the pilot project include addressing the gap of charging stations in the Kootenays, supporting market transformation of EV purchases, building capacity for EV station installation and servicing, increasing tourism, and reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative will aim to deploy 10-12 level 3 fast charging stations and 40 Level 2 stations throughout the region, with consideration of range anxiety and optimum densities for adoption. Level 3 stations will be located on main travel routes for quick and easy access, while level 2 stations will be situated in community centers in order to maximize time spent at other local businesses while the vehicles charge. CEA will facilitate approximately six community outreach events focusing on electric vehicle adoption in the region, as well as developing web and video based marketing. In addition, they will work with car dealerships to increase the availability of EVs, and provide a free home-charger to Kootenay-based 'early adopters’. Local electricians will be also engaged to ensure proper training is available for the installation and servicing of EV charging stations and vehicles. CEA is predicting that the pilot project, which will run from 2016-2018, will result in a reduction of 212 tonnes of carbon dioxide, as well as 105,781 liters of gasoline and the purchase of 17 additional EV vehicles in the Kootenay region. Environmental impacts are expected to appreciate over the long-term as more people buy into the electric vehicle grid. All charging stations will be networked and usage data will be tracked, monitored and compiled by CEA. The project will compare the performance with "control" groups, looking to other similar rural regions of British Columbia. With over 61% of community-wide emissions across the Kootenays attributed to transportation, the pilot presents an opportunity to reduce GHG’s within a dispersed rural context. All three Regional Districts have been engaged in energy and emissions initiatives over the past five years, including the award-winning Carbon Neutral Kootenay program which focused on corporate energy and emissions. The collaboration of the three regional districts and over 25 communities for the purposes of addressing a region-wide need for improved electric vehicle infrastructure in the rural context is unprecedented, with a high potential for adoption by other rural regions across Canada. Rural areas of northern British Columbia (Hwy 16 corridor), Southern Alberta (Hwy 3 and 2 corridor) and the Yukon (Whitehorse and Haines Junction corridor) have already expressed interest in learning about the initiative, and replicating the approach in their regions. If the pilot is successful, CEA is interested in helping those areas to replicate the project and further promote electric vehicle adoption. (Project description from original funding application)