VANCOUVER 鈥� sa国际传媒 Hydro says the number of electric-vehicle drivers using EV charging stations has rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels.
In February, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit sa国际传媒, there were more than 21,000 charging sessions at sa国际传媒 Hydro鈥檚 70 stations across the province.
However, the company says the number dropped by nearly 20 per cent after residents began to work from home, and were down 30 per cent by April to 12,700.
Since then, charging sessions have increased by almost 50 per cent since the lowest point in April, according to a sa国际传媒 Hydro report Friday, and there were 20,000 charging sessions in the month of June.
sa国际传媒 Hydro says the most popular charging location is at the Superstore on Grandview Highway in Vancouver, likely due to its proximity to Highway 1.
Other popular charging stations near major roads or highways include Colwood Park on Vancouver Island, Britton Creek Rest Area in the Fraser Valley and Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops.
The company says the frequency of charging at its highway stations indicates more people are commuting or taking road trips in an EV.
sa国际传媒 Hydro is encouraging EV drivers to charge at home as much as possible during the pandemic, but says it recognizes many customers rely on public charging infrastructure.
Staff are asking EV drivers to prastice social distancing at stations and bring sanitizing wipes or gloves to minimize potential transfer of COVID-19.
