In 2016, the regional districts of East Kootenay, Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary launched a pilot project to build an extensive network of electric vehicle charging stations and promote a shift to electric vehicles.
Given the long distances between the small communities in BC’s rural Kootenay region, transportation accounts for about 60 percent of community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the area—much higher than in urban or more densely populated areas.
Most small or rural communities don’t have the resources or population to support public transit or other forms of alternative transportation, so residents and visitors rely on personal vehicles for travel. In this context, building a charging network to support a shift toward electric vehicles was the region’s best bet to reduce GHGs while bolstering the local economy through tourism and increasing the adoption of electric vehicles.