A project between FLO and Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is creating a highway charging corridor in British Columbia.

FLO, an electric-vehicle charging company and a smart charging solutions provider, is supplying 41 of its 100 kW fast chargers to FCL on behalf of local co-ops in the Co-operative Retailing System.

These chargers will be installed at 23 locations across British Columbia to establish a highway charging corridor.

The chargers will be installed at co-op retail locations starting this summer. Once installed, the chargers will expand fast charging at rural and urban sites.

“Fast chargers are not just dots on the map, they are much-needed opportunities to keep EV drivers on the road,” said Louis Tremblay, FLO president and CEO, in a news release. “FLO’s project with FCL will expand access to fast, reliable charging throughout British Columbia – particularly in rural cities and towns – as the province moves toward 100 per cent zero emissions vehicles by 2035.”

FCL is owned by independent retail co-operatives from across Western Canada that are committed to being locally invested, community minded and providing lifetime membership benefits, a news release said.

Road trip planning

FLO further announced that its app has a new trip planning feature that simplifies EV travel.

It enables drivers to plan their journey with efficiency and accuracy, factoring in vehicle make and range, passenger count, luggage and personalized stops, while pinpointing charging stations along the way.

“There are more than 1.5 million new EVs on the roads in the U.S. and Canada this year versus last year,” said Nathan Yang, FLO chief product officer, in a news release. “As drivers begin to plan summer adventures and where they will charge on the road, FLO is offering personalized trip planning and seamless integration into the Flo app and our extensive charging network.”

The new trip planner feature is available on the FLO app for iOS and soon for Android, the company announced May 29.