New legislation will make it easier for strata owners to install EV charging stations

VANCOUVER -
Owning an electric vehicle (EV) will be a little easier for strata property owners, the province says, after announcing changes to legislation to facilitate the installation of charging stations in strata buildings.
On Thursday, the province said it would be making amendments to the Strata Property Act, the legal framework all strata corporations are required to follow.
Three areas will improve access to EV charging stations in strata complexes, the province says, including lowering the voting threshold from 75 per cent to 50 per cent for approval of the costs and changes to the property that are needed to install them, as well as requiring strata corporations to have an electrical planning report to make installation of these stations easier.
The amendments would mean stratas would have to approve owners' requests for such charging stations as long as "reasonable criteria are met."
Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Josie Osborne said people are more likely to buy an electric vehicle if they have the ability to charge it — something that's lacking for many British Columbians living in multi-unit residences.
"B.C. has one of the largest public electric vehicle charging networks in Canada, but we need to make it easier for more people to charge their EVs at home," Osborne said in a statement.
Tony Gioventu, the executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C., said the new legislation strikes a balance between allowing people access to EV charging stations while also ensuring stratas still have control over their properties.
This is just the latest step in the B.C. government's move to get more EVs on the road: in 2019, the province passed the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, which aims for 10 per cent of all new light-duty cars and trucks sold in B.C. to be zero emission by 2025. By 2040, they'll all need to be emission-free.
Related News

US: In 2021, Plug-Ins Traveled 19 Billion Miles On Electricity
NEW YORK - Plug-in electric cars are gradually increasing their market share in the US (reaching about 4% in 2021), which starts to make an impact.
The Department of Energy (DOE)’s Vehicle Technologies Office highlights in its latest weekly report that in 2021, plug-ins traveled some 19.1 billion miles (31 billion km) on electricity - all miles traveled in BEVs and the EV mode portion of miles traveled in PHEVs.
This estimated distance of 19 billion miles is noticeably higher than in 2020 (nearly 13 billion miles), which indicates how quickly the electrification of driving progresses. BEVs noted a 57% year-over-year increase…