Richmond Hospital installs EV charging stations

VANCOUVER – Staff and patients now have the option to plug-in their electric vehicles (EV), as Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) rolls out the largest installation of EV charging stations in the province at Richmond Hospital.

As part of a commitment to reducing emissions and supporting projects that provide environmental health benefits to staff and the community, the project will see a total of 30 electric vehicle charging stations installed in the Richmond Hospital parkade.

The installation will be rolled-out in phases starting April 21 with six EV stalls and increasing capacity based on feedback and demand.

“This past year has put a big focus on our overall health as a community and the steps we can take to minimize health impacts,” said Ashok Mishra, director, Richmond Hospital Redevelopment. “Supporting the growth of electric vehicles in B.C. is one way we can do that. By making it easier for our staff and our patients to choose EVs, we also help them reduce their carbon emissions – making the air cleaner for all of us.”

According to a 2019 VCH survey, 34 percent of staff plan to own an electric vehicle. The BC Provincial government also passed legislation on May 30, 2019 that requires every new car sold in B.C. to be a zero-emission vehicle by 2040.

Thanks to funding from the Carbon Neutral Capital Program (CNCP) and the Ministry of Health, the project, which aligns with the provincial Clean BC climate strategy, will help support our staff and our community to transition to a more sustainable transportation method such as electric vehicles.

“By installing the EV chargers in our communities, we are enabling staff and our patients, to move away from vehicles that burn fossil fuels and switch to electric vehicles, which in turn, will significantly reduce air pollution exposure and the associated population health impacts,” said Kori Jones, manager, Energy and Environmental Sustainability.

The EV charging stations will be available for staff, medical staff and patients with electric vehicles.