Tesla will build 16 electric-vehicle charging stations in the southern B.C. town of Osoyoos, located about halfway between Vancouver and the Alberta border.
“Tesla approached the staff to identify a location within the community to install eight of their supercharger stations,” Senior Planner Don McArthur told town council at a meeting July 2. Osoyoos, located at the intersection of Highways 3 and 97, “has been identified as a key link in the chain of electric-vehicle charging stations within the province."
A municipal parking lot with 12 spaces — that was once home to an abandoned burned out home — near the downtown core was chosen.
McArthur called it an “underutilized” lot big enough to accommodate Tesla’s chargers. It’s also within walking distance of downtown.
Tesla will build eight superchargers in that lot. Four of them will be for Tesla users only. The other fourwill be available to the public. Four other Level 2 universal chargers, which will charge any electric vehicle, will also be installed in the lot. Four more Level 2 universal chargers will be installed at a different site, yet to be determined. Level 2 chargers take 2-6 hours to boost an electric vehicle, depending on the make and model.
Tesla anticipates the typical charging time at a V3 Supercharger, announced earlier this year, will be about 15 minutes.
"All construction and maintenance costs associated with the project will be paid by Tesla,” McArthur said.
Council approved the proposal after little debate.
Tesla will begin sight surveying in July. Installation will start in late summer or early fall, council said.
There are currently about 18,000 registered electric vehicles in B.C., according to the most recent BC Hydro report.
B.C. residents can qualify for a provincial rebate of up to $3,000 and a federal rebate of up to $5,000 depending on the make and model of electric vehicle.
