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Off the Boat: Damaged EVs trapped on Gulf Islands

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Vancouver, British Columbia -- Non-operational electric vehicles are now barred from boarding boats operated by British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. making it very difficult for Gulf Island residents to secure repairs.

B.C. Ferries’ new rules prohibit EVs with significant damage — such as exposed batteries, fluid leaks and wiring issues — from boarding ferries. EVs with minor damage can still be transported, but require approval from the ship’s captain. 

According to Southern Gulf Islands Tourism, the latest statistics from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia state that 6.5 percent of residents on Salt Spring Island own an EV and 4.1 percent of residents across the rest of the Southern Gulf Islands own an EV. 

Village Bay Repairs, an auto repair and maintenance shop on Mayne Island, doesn’t do EV repairs, and owner Mike Maxwell says that “Owners are certainly going to be in trouble though. How would they get them off the island, I wonder?”

The updates to B.C. Ferries’ internal policies come in response to Transport Canada guidelines on the fire risk posed by the lithium-ion batteries in EVs. Transport Canada’s policy, which requires damaged or defective batteries to be removed for transportation, has been in place since 2014.

In a statement to Black Press Media, B.C. Ferries said “We recognize this presents challenges for customers and commercial operators, particularly as EV adoption increases. However, the safety risks associated with transporting potentially damaged high-voltage batteries, especially when the vehicle cannot be assessed under its own power, require a cautious approach.” 

Langley-Abbotsford MLA Harman Bhangu sent a letter to federal Minister of Transport Chrystia Freeland and B.C.’s Minister of Transportation Mike Farnworth on June 30, expressing his “serious concern” about the “Unworkable Ban on Electric Vehicles Aboard BC Ferries.”

In the letter, Bhangu states that the result of Transport Canada’s new regulation is that “Island residents are being told their vehicles — if damaged or towed — can’t be transported unless they pay for costly repairs first, even when no local services exist.” 

Calling the transition a “failure in planning,” Bhangu says the policy is “trapping people in their communities and punishing them for following government EV mandates.” 

Bhangu also claims that “Tow truck operators are now refusing jobs.” Vancouver Island towing companies service plenty of EVs, with the owner of Peninsula Towing, Don Affleck, telling CHECK News that “We probably handle 10 to 15 EVs a day.” The new ban now threatens this work. 

Damaged vehicles or batteries can be transported using barge operators or commercial cargo. According to CBC News, B.C. Ferries said in their statement that they are “seeking clarification from regulators on whether safe options to transport non-operational EVs can be introduced.”

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