Victoria rolls out electric-vehicle charging pilot for residential streets

Participants will be required cover their charging cable with a yellow rubber pad to prevent pedestrians from tripping over it on the sidewalk. (Handout)

The City of Victoria is launching a pilot program to allow electric-vehicle owners to run charging cables across city sidewalks to power up their vehicles while parked on residential streets.

The city will require EV drivers to obtain a licence to participate in the year-long pilot program, which is open to both homeowners and renters.

Participants will need to provide proof they have car insurance, as well as home or rental insurance, and will be required cover their charging cable with a yellow rubber pad to prevent pedestrians from tripping over it on the sidewalk.

The city says residential street charging will only be allowed between the overnight hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. for the duration of the program. “All cords and covers must be removed outside of these hours,” the city says on its updated parking and charging regulations website.

The residential charging licences are only available to residential addresses with direct access to the ground level in low-density areas, the city says, adding that apartment buildings are not eligible.

The regulations also require charging cables to run straight across the sidewalk, not on an angle along the pedestrian path.

Only standard 120-volt electrical connections are allowed under the pilot, and properties must be adjacent to a city-owned sidewalk to be eligible.

The city says it incorporated feedback from its accessibility advisory committee in developing the program, ensuring it meets the needs of wheelchair users and people with impaired vision.

“Without a licence, it is a bylaw violation to run a cord across a city sidewalk to charge an EV,” the municipal website advises. “The electric vehicle street charging program will help keep sidewalks safe while also supporting the transition to EVs.”

Applications for licences under the program cost $10, are available now and are valid until Dec. 31.

The city reminds residents that obtaining an EV charging licence does not guarantee the use of an on-street parking space. City staff will evaluate the pilot program and may extend it depending on feedback from residents.