Some residents concerned about being stranded on islands due to B.C. Ferries policy on damaged EVs
While Vipond agrees with these new restrictions in terms of safety concerns, he thinks there needs to be other options to get these vehicles off the island. As of right now they don't qualify as dangerous cargo shipping, but Vipond says that could be an option, among others. He says it all comes down to B.C. Ferries and Transport Canada, and whether they are willing to work with these towing companies.
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B.C. Ferries understands that this policy poses challenges for people, especially at a time where electric vehicle adoption increases, but they believe it is in the interest of everyone's safety that these cautions be applied. That being said, they are willing to look into safer alternatives to transport these vehicles in the future.
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'As this area evolves and we gather additional data we will look at whether safe, regulatory compliant options to transport damaged EVs can be introduced in the future,' B.C. Ferries wrote in an emailed statement. 'In short, EVs can still travel with us. The updates are about safety and clarity, not restrictions on everyday drivers.'
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Hon Chan, the B.C. Conservative MLA for Richmond Centre, says he places the blame squarely with the provincial government, not B.C. Ferries.
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'They (the government) asked everybody to get an EV, however now if there's a problem, it's almost impossible to get it fixed if you're not located in the mainland,' Chan told National Post in an interview.
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🚨 Damaged EVs can't board BC Ferries — even on a tow truck.
NDP pushed EVs; now owners are stranded. I warned them. They ignored.
BC needs Conservative common sense. #bcpoli #BCFerries #EVcrisis #CommonSenseConservatives #richmond #britishcolumbia #richmondcentre #bc pic.twitter.com/s9hkG3qJZo
— Hon Chan MLA 陳瀚生 (@honchanbc) July 7, 2025
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Chan says that around two months ago he introduced a private member's bill to amend rules pushing B.C. towards an all-EV light-duty vehicle market by 2035. He where he pointed out that in certain areas in B.C., especially the more rural ones, don't have proper facilities to repair EVs. However, his bill was voted down.
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'They always create some problems, and now scramble to find a solution,' said Chan.
Chan himself is an owner of an EV, and says that he's concerned that as his vehicle gets older, it could break down, and then would be stranded on the island, which he says is the concern for many British Colombians.
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He says that this is something that should've been discussed beforehand, because now people are left to deal with the repercussions themselves.
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'Why aren't we looking at the solutions before?' said Chan.
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Jim Standen and Tom Mitchell are residents of Salt Spring Island, and have both owned EVs for around 10 years. The recent policy change has them both feeling a little concerned and frustrated as well.
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Standen says that although EVs are reliable cars, there's a large number of them on Salt Spring Island, and many of them are old, increasing their chances of breaking down. And in terms of repairing an EV, on the island there are not many options.
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Dangerous goods ferries come to the island once a week, and there's also a marine landing craft. Mitchell says that the landing craft could potentially be used to help transport damaged EVs, but something needs to be done.
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