Chevron Canada owner building 50 EV charging stations from Vancouver Island to Calgary

The parent company of Chevron’s Canadian division will expand its network of ultra-fast battery-electric vehicle charging locations along the route between Vancouver Island and Calgary, including nearly tripling its number of charging locations within the Metro Vancouver region.

Parkland Corporation announced today its expansion plan, which further diversifies the Calgary-based energy firm best known for operating Chevron gas station and On The Run convenience store locations — where the charging stations will be built.

A total of 50 charging stations will be built across BC and Alberta, with the first 25 locations set to be ready by the end of 2022, and the remaining 25 locations by early 2024.

You might also like:
• Vancouver gas stations and parking lots without charging could pay $10,000 annual fee
• 13% of new car sales in BC in 2021 were electric-battery models
• 100% electric vehicles by 2035, carbon tax hike in BC's revised climate plan
• TransLink planning to add over 460 battery-electric buses by 2030

The charging stations will be strategically located at intervals on highways and major destinations across Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, and the Okanagan. Running on an open network, the equipment can charge most vehicle models within 20 to 30 minutes.

This complements the existing and ever-expanding network of charging locations by entities such as BC Hydro, municipal governments, and other private operators.

All Parkland-owned locations will be staffed and feature an On the Run store, and most will also have a Triple O’s restaurant. Public washrooms at these locations will also be upgraded.

“British Columbia leads the way in North American EV adoption, making the province a natural starting point for our ultra-fast charging network,” said Darren Smart, the senior vice president of energy transition and corporate development for Parkland, in a statement.

“Our network will help eliminate range anxiety for EV drivers and by offering high-quality convenience and food choices, we aim to deliver industry leading customer amenities and experiences.”

Artistic rendering of a battery-electric vehicle charging station at an On The Run location. (On The Run)

Artistic rendering of an On The Run convenience store with an attached White Spot Triple O’s. (On The Run)

Parkland’s investments are made possible by supplemental funding of $5 million from the federal government and over $1.8 million from the provincial government of BC.

According to the provincial government, as of the first nine months of 2022, battery-electric vehicles accounted for 17.5% of all new light-duty passenger vehicles sold across BC this year.

For all of 2022, the share of battery-electric vehicles was 13%. The provincial government has set a goal of reaching 26% by 2026, ahead of its legislated 100% target by 2035.

In April 2022, the previous makeup of Vancouver City Council approved a policy mandating all gas stations and large commercial parking lots to install charging stations by 2025. If these businesses do not comply, they will face a $10,000 annual business license fee — up from the current annual rate of $263 for gas stations and $163 for parking businesses.

Parkland owns and operates over 1,800 gas stations across Canada.

Map of existing Chevron/On The Run charging locations in British Columbia and Alberta. All 50 locations are not shown. (On The Run)

You might also like:
• Vancouver gas stations and parking lots without charging could pay $10,000 annual fee
• 13% of new car sales in BC in 2021 were electric-battery models
• 100% electric vehicles by 2035, carbon tax hike in BC's revised climate plan
• TransLink planning to add over 460 battery-electric buses by 2030