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Date Last Updated: 30th October 2023

EV Charger Rebate Program for Multi-Unit Residential Complexes

About the program

Rebates are available to help homes and workplaces across B.C. get ready for electric vehicles (EVs). The program is funded by the Government of B.C.’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, with occasional financial support from the Government of Canada, and is administered by BC Hydro and FortisBC.

The program provides apartment, condo and townhome complexes with rebates not just for the EV chargers, but also for the electrical upgrades needed to make the complex EV Ready.

Pre-approval from BC Hydro is required before purchasing and installing EV chargers.

*Program updates

October 31, 2023 – The province of B.C. has approved $6.59M in fiscal year 23/24 funding to fully re-open the CleanBC Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program for Homes and Workplaces. All program offers are accepting applications again. Funding is limited and will be allocated until it’s exhausted.

Townhome complexes are now eligible for the EV Ready and EV charger standalone offers. Townhome residents will no longer apply through the single-family home application process.

There are two changes to the EV Ready program requirements:

The electrical connection to power a Level 2 EV charger must be within five metres (instead of three metres) from any part of the parking stall it’s supporting.
Parking stall labelling requirements have been updated to ensure junction boxes clearly indicate which parking stall the electrical circuit is supporting.

See the EV Ready plan requirements.

October 31, 2023 – Federal funding from the Government of Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) that became available for condos and workplaces on June 15, 2023 has now been fully allocated. This process was completed on a first-come first-served basis.

What does ‘EV Ready’ mean?

EV Ready means getting a complex ready to accommodate high levels of future EV charging. Specifically, it results in a parking space featuring an electrical wiring installation that provides a final connection point in an electrical wiring installation for an EV charger.

Rebate offers

Options available to apartment, condo and townhome complexes

If your complex is in the process of planning upgrades to support EV charging at its residential parking stalls, there are provincial rebates available to help. There’s the standalone EV charger rebate offer, as well as EV Ready rebates, which help subsidize the cost of planning and installing the necessary electrical infrastructure to support your current or future EV charging needs.

By taking advantage of the EV Ready rebates, you can reduce the cost per parking space for installing EV chargers (versus only installing a few chargers at a time), and it greatly simplifies the process to install additional chargers as more EVs are adopted over time.

Rebate maximums for each option

EV Ready Rebates	Standalone EV Charger Rebate
Up to $3,000 for EV Ready plan Up to $120,000 for EV Ready infrastructure Up to $14,000 for chargers	Up to $2,000 per charger, up to 50% of costs (regularly up to $14,000) per apartment/condo or townhome complex
TOTAL: $137,000 per apartment/condo or townhome complex	TOTAL: $14,000 per apartment/condo or townhome complex

EV Ready Plan rebate

An EV Ready plan is a professional document prepared by a licensed electrical contractor and/or electrical engineer that includes details about how your complex will provide each residential unit with at least one EV Ready parking space.

Stratas or complex owners that hire a licensed electrical contractor or electrical engineer to create their EV Ready plan can receive a rebate of up to 75% of the costs of creating the plan, to a maximum of $3,000, while funding lasts.

An EV Ready plan is required to be eligible for an EV Ready infrastructure rebate.

View the requirements for the plan and supporting documentation

EV Ready Infrastructure rebate

EV Ready infrastructure refers to the electrical infrastructure that needs to be installed in your complex to implement your EV Ready plan.

Stratas or complex owners that install their EV Ready infrastructure can receive a rebate up to 50% of the infrastructure and installation costs, to a maximum of $600 per parking stall, and a project maximum of $120,000, while funding lasts.

You can’t apply for the EV Ready infrastructure rebate unless you’ve previously applied for an EV Ready plan rebate or are applying for it at the same time.

EV Charger rebate

Rebates are available for the cost of purchasing and installing EV chargers at your complex, while funding lasts.

If your complex has participated in the EV Ready plan and infrastructure rebates:

Stratas, complex owners or individual residents can apply for pre-approval to receive a rebate up to 50% of the cost to purchase and install eligible EV chargers, to a maximum of $2,000 per charger and $14,000 per apartment/condo or townhome complex. Dual-port stations count as two chargers.

If your complex has not participated in the EV Ready plan and infrastructure rebates:

Stratas, complex owners or individual residents can apply for pre-approval to receive a rebate up to 50% of the cost to purchase and install eligible EV chargers, up to $2,000 per charger and up to $14,000 per apartment/condo or townhome complex. Dual-port stations count as two chargers.

EV Advisor

Condos and apartments looking to install EV chargers can get up to five hours of free advice and planning assistance from an expert in EV charging and equipment.

How they can help

In an initial consultation, advisors will collect information about the location and the occupants’ charging needs and explain different charging options. This is a high-level review, not a substitute for an electrician or electrical engineer. Advisors can also work with stratas and complex managers to help them understand EV charging quotes from contractors.

If you require more than five hours from an advisor, they can provide you with additional services at an hourly rate.

Eligibility

Pre-approval required

Pre-approval from BC Hydro is required for EV charger rebates before purchasing and installing equipment. Once you’ve received pre-approval, your project must be completed and your final application submitted within six months.

Eligible costs

For the EV Ready plan rebate:

Cost of developing the plan
- Taxes are not eligible for rebates

For the EV Ready infrastructure rebate:

Engineering design services
Electrical and communication infrastructure installation
Associated construction costs
Permit costs
Utility extension fees
EV parking signage

For the EV charger rebate:

Purchasing the charging station
Labour and construction costs for installation of the charging station and associated conduit
Site assessments including analysis of electrical capacity, review of panel capacity and infrastructure, and identification of design options
Electrical and related permits
Parking and electrical design required by the charging stations and conduit
EV parking signage
Network connection fees (stations must be connected for a minimum of two years)
- Taxes are not eligible for rebates

Eligible buildings & installations

Apartment/condo and townhome complexes must have been constructed no later than August 31, 2021. This rebate is for retrofit solutions only, new builds are ineligible. If the building was constructed after municipal bylaws requiring EV Ready parking stalls came into effect, it’s not eligible for the EV Ready plan or infrastructure rebates.

The installation of chargers and/or infrastructure must be done by a certified electrician. Electrical permits are required.

Eligible chargers

Charging stations that are eligible for the rebate must be:

Ordered, purchased and installed after receiving pre-approval from BC Hydro
Purchased and not leased
Approved for sale and use in Canada and have cUL, ULC, cETL, CSA, or cQPS certification
A Level 2 charger, 208V or 240V, and feature a SAE J1772 standard plug head
New, not used or refurbished
A hardwired charging station or plug-in charger model
A networked charging station that is connected to a central system via internet communication such as open protocol (e.g. OCPP, OpenADR or other) or a proprietary system (must be connected to a network for minimum of two years)

The Tesla Wall Connector with the proprietary adapter is not eligible for rebates at apartment, condo or townhome complexes. However, Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector with the integrated J1772 adapter is eligible.

Combining with other incentives

If these rebates are combined with any other incentive, they’ll be capped so that the total incentives don’t exceed the total cost of the equipment and installation.

Townhome complex applications

Townhome complexes where residents have their own private garage or adjacent parking pad are not required to make each townhome unit EV Ready all at the same time.

Individual owners can have the electrical infrastructure and EV charger installed on an as-needed basis.
The installation for each resident would be defined by the EV Ready plan that was approved for their townhome complex.
Townhome administrators must first have their EV Ready plan completed, apply for the EV Ready plan, and then have it approved by BC Hydro.
Unit owners can then apply for the rebate individually.

Townhome complexes that have common property parking stalls (in an underground parkade, for example), must complete the electrical infrastructure upgrades all at once, in accordance with their approved EV Ready plan.

Required documentation

Make sure you have the necessary documents ready before you start your pre-approval application. Each rebate has unique documentation requirements.

EV Ready plan rebate

EV Ready plan – A copy of the EV Ready plan that was created for you/your property. Make sure it meets the requirements.
EV Ready plan workbook – Our template for documenting how your EV Ready plan will be implemented, completed by the professional who created your EV Ready plan. Download template. (Excel document)
EV Ready plan invoice – A copy of the paid invoice from the electrical contractor and/or professional engineer for the costs (broken down by activities performed) to create the EV Ready plan. If these costs aren’t due until the EV Ready infrastructure is installed, upload the quote for the plan instead.

EV Ready infrastructure rebate

EV charger rebate

If you’re applying for the charger rebate only, and your complex hasn’t received an EV Ready plan and infrastructure rebate in the past:

Quote of work – A copy of the quote for the costs (broken down by activities performed) of charger installation and electrical service upgrades (if applicable) from a licensed electrical contractor.

If you’re applying for this rebate in combination with an EV Ready infrastructure rebate, you’ll also need to provide a copy of your EV Ready plan, EV Ready plan workbook, and your charger and infrastructure quotes may be combined.

Application process

Apply for pre-approval

When you have your documents ready, proceed to the application form. It takes approximately 15 minutes to complete the three-step application form. You’ll be asked to provide your contact details, information about your complex, and the work to be done.

When you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation number via email.

Once you’re pre-approved

After we review your application, and within 30 days, we’ll send you an email indicating whether or not you’ve been pre-approved. That email will provide a summary of next steps, including your deadline to complete your project and submit your paid invoices.

Get your electrician to complete the required document:
One of the documents you’ll need to submit with your final invoices is a document that needs to be completed by your electrician. There are two variations of this document.

IF YOU'VE BEEN PRE-APPROVED FOR:	YOUR ELECTRICIAN MUST COMPLETE:
EV Ready infrastructure rebate (on its own or combined with other rebates)	EV Ready contractor installation form A
EV charger rebate only (for complexes that have previously received an EV Ready infrastructure rebate)	EV Ready contractor installation form B

Submit your final application

You have six months from your pre-approval date to complete the project and come back to submit your final application. In your application, you’ll need to provide:

Your application reference number – Find this in the subject line of the confirmation email you received when you submitted your pre-approval application (e.g. SC-000123).
Charger invoice – A complete copy of the paid, itemized receipt for eligible charger(s). Must include retailer’s name, address and phone number. If this cost is included with the installation invoice, you can indicate this at the time of upload.
Installation invoice – A copy of the paid invoice for the cost of the charger and/or electrical infrastructure installation labour and construction by a licensed electrician. See a sample invoice.
Picture of installed charging station(s) – One image per station if multiple stations are part of your application.
Proof of charger internet connectivity – A screenshot of the back-end network operating system that shows that the charging stations are connected to the network.
A copy of the appropriate completed contractor form (see variations above)

Then, we’ll review your documents and if everything meets the requirements, we’ll process your rebate payment within 90 days.

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