Eligible Costs

Eligible costs include:

• Purchase of the charging station and energy management system hardware;
• Labour and construction costs for the installation of the charging station, and associated conduit by a licensed electrical contractor;
• Electrical and other related permits;
• Parking and electrical design to accommodate the charging stations;
• EV parking signage
• Cost of network connection fees (maximum of 2 years to be considered towards eligible costs); and,
• Costs for the installation of EV energy management system hardware

Reimbursement of eligible costs will not be issued if work is incomplete. All program requirements must be shown to be fulfilled before the payment will be issued.

Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to:

• Installation of non-EV charging infrastructure;
• Administration such as communication between property management and residents, copy or documentation fees;
• Painting of parking area;
• Taxes paid on charging station, labour, etc.;
• Charging infrastructure already required under regulation, building codes, or other programs;
• Land costs; and,
• Legal costs for Ultimate Recipients.

Once pre-approved for a rebate, applicants will have nine (9) months to purchase and install eligible EV charging equipment. Only costs incurred after application approval, and before the end of the nine (9) month term, will be considered eligible. Requests for extensions must be provided by the applicant in writing to the program administrator before the end of the 9-month term and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

EV Charging Equipment Requirements

• Be approved for sale and use in Canada (cUL, cETL, CSA, certification);
• Be purchased from a supplier in Canada;
• Be Level 2 (208 or 240 Volt) station, and feature a SAE J1772 standard plug head or a NACS connector (SAE J3400);
• Be purchased, not leased;
• Be a permanent installation (Note: the Province may consider supporting a mobile charging installation, however ZEVIP eligibility criteria does not support mobile charging installations);
• Be for a new installation, or expansion of an existing installation (not for the replacement of an existing installation);
• Be networked. A networked level 2 charger must be connected to a central system via standard internet protocol. The communication to the central system can be either an open protocol (such as OCPP, OpenADR, or other) or a proprietary system;
• Stations must remain networked for a minimum of 2 years;
• Be installed by a licensed electrical contractor; and,
• Work performed must be in compliance with all applicable local codes and bylaws.

Participants are able to choose their own contractor to perform the purchase and installation of charging stations.  See a list of eligible charging stations here. Non-networked charging stations are not eligible. This list will be continually updated and maintained but will not be exhaustive. If an applicant purchases a station not on the list, it will be eligible if the station meets the criteria outlined above. Charging equipment manufacturers and/or suppliers may request that their stations be included on the list by contacting fleets@pluginbc.ca.

Charging Infrastructure Application Process

Applicants must apply for pre-approval. The pre-approval application form is available here.

The following documentation must be provided at the time of applying for pre-approval:

• Proof of B.C. business license;
• Proof of fleet vehicles registered to your organization registered in B.C.;
• Attestation that the applicant has the authority to undertake the electrical work at the facility;
• If the facility is a leased location, written permission from property management or owner of the building is required; and
• A quote for the work to be completed (design, procure, and install charging infrastructure). This quote must be from a licensed electrician or electrical contractor.
• Proof of current ownership or purchase order to acquire ZEVs.

After the completion of charging infrastructure installations, pre-approved applicants must then apply for the financial rebate.

The following documentation must be provided at the time of applying for the charging infrastructure rebate:

• A proof of completion of electrical work with photographs;
• Proof of payment: Sales receipt showing items/model, name and address of the purchaser, purchase date and purchase price or any other document that clearly shows the transfer of funds;
• A picture of the installed station(s); and,
• A demonstration that the installed infrastructure is operational (printout from the network operator).

If the Province changes or terminates the Program, a completed eligible application form received prior to a change, or the termination of the Program will be administered in accordance with the Program as it existed on the date of the application.