Hundreds of Gulf Islands electric vehicle (EV) owners were left feeling uniquely stranded by BC Ferries this week, as the company made public a new internal policy prohibiting EVs that can’t drive themselves aboard.
BC Ferries’ current interpretation of federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) regulations means if any of the islands’ numerous electric cars, trucks or buses need a tow elsewhere to be serviced, they won’t be allowed on board any vessel within the ferry system.
On Salt Spring alone, according to ICBC statistics, that leaves nearly 1,000 currently registered electric and hybrid-electric cars and trucks — nearly one in seven passenger vehicles on the island — unable to be brought off for service or repair, unless they can make the trip under their own power or hire private barge service.
“We recognize this presents challenges for customers and commercial operators, particularly as EV adoption increases,” said BC Ferries senior communications advisor Sonia Lowe. “However, the safety risks associated with transporting damaged or potentially damaged high-voltage batteries, especially when the vehicle cannot be assessed under its own power, require a cautious approach.”
It’s unclear what prompted the operational change. BC Ferries vessels must comply with Transport Canada’s safety guidance, and a Ship Safety Bulletin in 2024 noted EVs are “not more prone to fires than vehicles with an internal combustion engine,” although it recommended crews train specifically for fighting EV fires — which, the bulletin noted, can burn hotter and are more likely to re-ignite once extinguished.
Days before the policy shift became public, BC Ferries president and chief executive officer Nicolas Jimenez told islanders on Salt Spring there was “some communication” coming on the subject; Jimenez was on-island to participate in the ASK Salt Spring public forum at SIMS on Friday, June 27.
Responding to a question about EVs and fire risk on ferries, Jimenez said the company was “very much alive to the fact that this is a concern for people.”
“We are very much convinced, currently, that the fire suppression systems we have are appropriate for the risk in place for EVs,” said Jimenez. “What I also know is there are a lot of people who just won’t agree with that.”
Noting what he characterized as “different perceptions of risk” in the community, Jimenez said the company was “monitoring recent research.” By that weekend, the new policy was in place.
Since 2017, the TDG Act has regulated lithium batteries as “dangerous goods” on passenger vessels — much as it does gasoline and propane — and damaged or defective batteries have been required to be packed for transport following specific regulated instructions.
That would necessitate removing them from a vehicle, work that few independent mechanics perform; and, like gas or diesel vehicles, an EV can break down from problems unrelated to its “fuel” system — leaving some inoperable vehicles with fully functional batteries likely to be denied boarding.
Gulf Islands “institutional” EV users were just as surprised by the changes as private vehicle owners, and said in the absence of guidance from BC Ferries they were working to find alternative solutions should they need to bring fleet vehicles to Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland for service.
Gulf Islands School District director of operations Colin Whyte said the district’s five electric school buses — nearly half the fleet, serving multiple islands and all less than three years old — are still under warranty, although they may need to be transported at some point for repairs. Whyte said it’s not yet clear how that would be accomplished given BC Ferries’ new policy.
“Normal mechanical issues, we just do the work here,” said Whyte. “But for any of the high-voltage drive components — batteries, motors, etc. — that are under warranty, the service centre for the four big buses is in Victoria.”
The manufacturer for the smaller electric bus serving Mayne Island is in Vancouver, Whyte said, but tends to send crews over to do work in the field.
“If we have a bus that’s disabled, if we can’t even put it on a flat deck or a tow truck or something to get it over for service, it’s going to be challenging,” said Whyte.
Salt Spring’s Capital Regional District (CRD) manager Dan Ovington said not being able to transport one of their fleet vehicles off island would be an issue for both administration and the Parks and Recreation departments, as both have also been working in recent years to replace fossil-fuel vehicles — and equipment — with electric alternatives.
“We currently have a hybrid SUV, two fully electric trucks and an electric mower,” said Ovington, adding they have two gas-powered parks trucks remaining — and both are scheduled to be replaced with fully electric vehicles in 2026 and 2027.
“As this area evolves and [BC Ferries] gathers additional data, we will look at whether safe, regulatory compliant options can be introduced in the future,” said Lowe.
As of the end of 2024, ICBC statistics show Salt Spring Island with 558 registered electric vehicles and 423 hybrid-electric; on Pender Island there were 103 electric and 94 hybrid. For Saturna Island there were 61 electric and 38 hybrid, and on Mayne Island ICBC tallied 33 electric and 39 hybrid.