Electric vehicle (EV) readiness is now required in new buildings.
'EV Ready' or 'EV Readiness' means that residential and commercial developments must have energized electrical outlets installed at the time of construction that are capable of charging an EV when a charging station is installed the future.
Background & Direction
Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly popular and while the market for EVs is still small, it is growing rapidly and this trend is projected to continue. The use of EVs instead of internal combustion engine vehicles helps improve air quality, fight climate change, reduce noise, and foster green economic development, among other benefits. The City's Climate Leadership Plan, Official Community Plan, and GoVictoria support policy to encourage the adoption of EVs as one strategy to reduce the 40% of community emissions associated with on road transportation.
Climate Leadership Plan Targets:
- By 2030, renewable energy powers 30% of passenger vehicles
- By 2050, 100% of passenger vehicles are renewably powered
The availability of EV charging at home is one of the most important factors in an individual’s decision to purchase an EV. New homes can be equipped with EV charging economically relative to the cost of retrofitting at a later date. Energy management system technology, which allows multiple charging points to safely use a single circuit simultaneously, also makes it more feasible to install EV charging in multi-family residential buildings.
What Has Changed?
In July 2020, the City of Victoria amended the Zoning Bylaw [PDF - 7 MB] and Zoning Regulation Bylaw [PDF - 16 MB] to require EV charging infrastructure in new all new residential developments and some commercial developments, with changes that came into effect on October 1, 2020. See the Technical Bulletin [PDF - 112 KB] for more information.