Many British Columbians remain interested in making the transition to Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), especially as gas prices continue to rise, but a few barriers remain – including convenient access to charging infrastructure.
BC Hydro recently announced it had surpassed 700 charging ports in the province, while investing in the development of 75 new EV charging projects. An ongoing commitment to investment in charging infrastructure in key transportation corridors is important – but that represents only part of the equation. As we have suggested before, access to charging needs to also be available where British Columbians reside. A 2026 Policy Roadmap from Clean Energy Canada and the Community Energy Association recommends the BC government should implement a province-wide 100 per cent EV-readiness requirement when it comes to new residential builds. This means having at least one EV-ready parking space per small new build and ensuring 100 per cent of residential parking spaces in larger complexes are EV-ready.
The New Car Dealers Association of BC (NCDA) continues to support electrification, but affordability issues and a lack of charging infrastructure are reasons the transition has softened – with many British Columbians continuing to choose lower emission gasoline vehicles or increasingly, shifting to hybrid EVs.
Before widely mandating the adoption of EVs, having the proper infrastructure in place remains critical – and ensuring new builds are equipped with EV-ready parking stalls is a step in that direction.
The Making All New BC Homes EV-Ready Policy Roadmap notes that a province-wide 100 per cent EV-readiness requirement would prevent costly retrofits in the future, as it’s three to four times cheaper to include that infrastructure at the time of construction. The document also highlights that this policy would help provide equitable access to cost-saving EVs, as more rural and northern parts of the province are less likely to have access to at-home EV charging infrastructure than other communities.
Due to a lack of control over their living space, renters and apartment dwellers are less likely to have access to home charging. Younger people are also more likely to be living in these units, as 60 per cent of people aged 20-44 live in apartment complexes compared to 49 per cent of people over 44. Combine this with the fact that 77 per cent of those 18–44-year-olds are inclined to go electric according to a Clean Energy Canada Survey – making this demographic and living situation a key mover of the EV needle.
Having more available charging infrastructure across the province would help consumer confidence in buying an EV as their next vehicle. We need to ensure there are no barriers facing consumers who are looking to reduce their emissions and changing the way we build infrastructure could remove a roadblock. The NCDA encourages government and the development community work together to explore cost options to address this issue.
This change would also alleviate affordability pressures as an EV owner can save thousands of dollars annually compared to owning a gas car, according to Clean Energy Canada research.
In April, the BC government introduced legislation reducing its 2035 zero-emission vehicle sales mandate from 100 per cent to 75 per cent. This change maintains a longer-term aspirational target and is a helpful step toward a more balanced and adaptable approach to ZEVs in British Columbia.
The NCDA has continuously suggested the government to move away from quota-based vehicle sales requirements and move toward a framework that is responsive to the current market – a market that saw a decline in EV sales in 2025 compared to the year before.
As always, we must meet consumers where they’re at, and while affordability pressures and infrastructure challenges persist, the market continues to see the sale of a wide range of vehicle options.
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. He can be reached at [email protected]
