Starting in 2023, the District of North Vancouver engaged Prism Engineering to assess, design and implement electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at strategic locations.
Tackling transportation to meet emissions targets
According to the District’s Electric Vehicle Strategy, transportation accounts for 52% of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ninety-six percent of those emissions come from personal vehicles. In conjunction with active and shared transportation options, prioritizing electric vehicle charging infrastructure is critical to meeting the District’s larger climate targets.
Electric vehicles offer significant benefits, including up to 80% lower emissions than gas vehicles when powered by renewable electricity. They also have 50% lower maintenance costs due to their simpler and more efficient motors, and lower fuel costs can help offset their higher upfront price.
Despite these benefits, gaps in public EV charging infrastructure and challenges in installing chargers in multi-unit residential buildings hinder EV adoption. As part of its broader low-carbon transportation strategy to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, the District is working to expand access to EV charging, providing key public points to reduce these barriers.
The District forecasts a need for 660 public charging ports by 2030. To address the growing demand for EVs, it has partnered with Prism to support the deployment of key public charging points across the community.
New public charging stations installed
Prism provided engineering assessment, design and implementation support for the first phase of the District of North Vancouver’s latest EV infrastructure expansion, resulting in the installation of six public charging stations at two high-traffic locations, as seen in Figure 1:
- Lynn Valley Village: 4x Level 2 public charging stations.
- Norgate Park: 2x 50 kW Level 3 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) stations.
The District chose these locations based on their accessibility and potential impact. Lynn Valley Village is a central hub with a mix of residential and commercial properties. Norgate Park is situated near the Trans-Canada Highway, making it a convenient stop for EV users.
Figure 1: Charging stations at Norgate Park (left) and Lynn Valley Village. Photos: Prism Engineering Limited.
Working with BC Hydro
To ensure feasibility, Prism conducted site evaluations in collaboration with BC Hydro. These involved assessing electrical capacity, reviewing utility account history records (AHRs) to analyze peak demand, and identifying constraints.
Our team compiled the findings into a comprehensive report outlining, among others:
- The maximum number of EV chargers that could be installed at each site.
- Compliance with the latest EV charging building codes.
- Required electrical system upgrades.
- Optimal and cost-effective parking stall locations.
Steps toward a low-carbon future
After completing the latest phase of the project, Prism is continuing to support the District to expand its EV charging infrastructure across other strategic sites in North Vancouver. We are proud to collaborate on this initiative, helping the District achieve its climate goals and improving accessibility to electric vehicle charging for residents and visitors.