Saanich, BC – New electric vehicle (EV) chargers in the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park are improving access to clean-energy transportation options to local greenspace.

Two FLO SmartTWO Level 2 EV Charging Stations have been installed in the Beaver Beach parking lot and are available for public use. The chargers can also support CRD Regional Parks EV fleet charging while staff are servicing the park.

Visitors who wish to use the new EV chargers will need to have a Flo, BC Hydro, or Charge Point account, and can use the mobile app of their choice or an access card to activate the chargers. The chargers do not accept credit cards. The charging fee is $1 per hour, and the chargers have a three-hour limit, after which visitors must move their vehicle. The chargers will be available for use from sunrise to sunset, and they will be listed on the online FLO map as well as on PlugShare.com.

In 2023, 22% of new car sales in BC were electric vehicles – the highest per capita in North America. Adding EV chargers in high-visitation regional parks is not only a priority identified within the CRD Regional Parks & Trails Strategic Plan 2022-32, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the region is also a CRD 2023-26 Board Priority. Other EV charging sites in high-visitation regional parks are currently being explored for feasibility and installation in 2025.

The CRD currently has eight other publicly available EV chargers installed at CRD recreation centres and more than 60 EV chargers for electric CRD fleet vehicles at worksites across the region.

The CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and government partners to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.

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