A2Z EV Technical Statement on the Hope, BC Charging Incident
Following the August 2024 charging incident in Hope, British Columbia, A2Z EV conducted a complete engineering review in parallel with the investigation led by Technical Safety BC (TSBC) and the charging station operator. The conclusions reached by TSBC were consistent with the technical findings provided in our report.
The event began with a malfunction inside the commercial DC fast charger. According to TSBC’s official report, the charger experienced an internal short circuit that allowed voltage to appear on the protective-earth (ground) circuit. This abnormal condition travelled through the charger cable into the connected adapter, which led to an arc-flash during the startup sequence.
All diagnostic data and event logs used in our analysis were provided directly by the charging-station manufacturer. These logs confirmed multiple insulation-monitoring warnings before the event, showing that the charger had an existing ground-fault condition that was not cleared in time.
Our own inspection found no manufacturing or insulation defect in the connected A2Z EV adapter. The damage observed was consistent with exposure to an external ground fault originating from the charger. The adapter became a secondary path for current once the charger’s internal fault energized the ground circuit
It is our understanding that the charging-station operator has since conducted a review of its systems and made internal adjustments aimed at preventing similar occurrences.
At the time of this event, there was no certification framework for EV charging adapters in North America. The new UL 2252 / SAE J3400-1 standard now provides those requirements, and A2Z EV has already initiated and obtained certification of the majority of its North-American adapters.
Looking Ahead
We acknowledge that EV charging is a rapidly evolving field where interoperability between multiple systems—vehicles, adapters, and charging stations—is critical. We will continue to collaborate with regulators, charging network operators, and automakers to ensure that customers have access to safe, compliant, and reliable charging solutions.
A2Z EV stands by the integrity of its testing programs and product safety, and we will remain transparent with our customers, partners, and regulators as we work together to build a stronger and safer EV charging ecosystem.
- A2Z EV