BC Hydro opens electric vehicle charging station in Gold River, Vancouver Island

The electric vehicle charging station in Gold River, B.C., is pictured. (BC Hydro)

Another electric vehicle fast charging site has come online on Vancouver Island in the North Island community of Gold River.

The electric vehicle (EV) charging site opened on Thursday and is located beside the Gold River Tourist Information Centre, near the intersection of Highway 28 and Scout Lake Road.

The site includes two 50-kilowatt charging units, which can add about 50 kilometres to the average EV in roughly 10 minutes, according to BC hydro.

"This charge site in Gold River opens another section of Vancouver Island to electric vehicle tourism," said Michele Babchuk, MLA for North Island, in a statement.

"The site is convenient for drivers using Highway 28," she added. "The location is also wheelchair accessible and has newly installed lighting to enhance safety for all users."

The charging site is operated by BC Hydro, which currently runs 114 public fast chargers across the province, with plans to build 325 more across 145 locations over the next five years.

The energy provider says it's working to expand its public charging infrastructure to support the use of electric cars, which are growing in popularity.

Last month, the B.C. government said British Columbians were purchasing the most electric vehicles per capita compared to any other jurisdiction in North America.