Electric vehicles (EVs) are not only helping keep our air clean, they are helping Canadians save money - from cheaper refuelling to lower maintenance costs. The widespread shift to EVs is also a tremendous economic opportunity as manufacturing jobs are being created across the country to meet the demands along the EV value chain.
To help drivers feel confident in making the switch to an EV, the Government of Canada is building a coast-to-coast network of charging stations along highways and in communities' public places, on-street, in multi-use residential buildings, at workplaces and for vehicle fleets. To date, the government has supported the installation of over 45,000 chargers across the country.
Thousands of New Chargers Coming to Communities Across Ontario
To keep building Canada's network of EV chargers, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced support for 30 Ontario-based partner organizations to help install up to 1,908 Level 2 and 100 Level 3 chargers. These new chargers will be installed at multi-use residential buildings (MURB), public places, fleets and workplaces. The Government of Canada is also providing funding toward five existing EV projects with delivery organizations, which will install up to 1,328 new EV chargers.
Today's announcement represents nearly $25 million in federal investments provided through Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) and the Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative. Funding was also provided by the 30 organizations and their partners, bringing the total of these investments to over $35 million.
Recent NRCan Announcements in the ZEV Economy
Today's investments in EV charging build on recent announcements, including:
· the launch of an online ZEV resource hub to make it easier for Canadians to navigate and access information related to federal policy and the launch of the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure funding landing page to help Canadian businesses and organizations find and access the funding opportunities best suited to their ZEV infrastructure projects
· a combined federal investment of nearly $11 million in five organizations based in Guelph to install 1,521 chargers, principally across Ontario, and in other Canadian provinces
· a combined total federal investment of $201,000 to install 40 Level 2 chargers in Kelowna, B.C., with the City of Kelowna and Bernard Block Mission Group Homes GP Ltd., as announced earlier this week by MP Maninder Sidhu
· a new call for proposals to support projects that will help decarbonize the transportation sector
· a federal investment of $300,000 to IKEA Properties Limited to install 30 Level 2 and 10 Level 3 EV chargers in Ontario and Quebec, as announced by Minister Marc Miller
Finding the Right Charger for You
Before hitting the streets, Canadians can easily map out their route by consulting NRCan's electric charger and alternative fuelling stations locator. This tool is helping Canadians to find the right charger at the right time, whether it is for planning a road trip or parking between errands.
The Government of Canada is working with vehicle manufacturers and charging service providers to advance the deployment of charging infrastructure while supporting Canadians to make the switch to an electric vehicle.
As part of this collaborative effort, Tesla will open a portion of its existing Canadian Supercharger network to non-Tesla electric vehicles, wherever site hosts allow. Later this year, an open Supercharging route will be piloted for EV drivers between Sudbury and Ottawa. Then, by the end of 2025, 750 charging connectors in public locations will be made available to non-Tesla EV drivers, through a combination of retrofits and new construction, of which at least 350 will be 250kW Superchargers. The open chargers will be distributed across Canada, and the route will include the Trans-Canada Highway from Ottawa to Calgary.
Affordability and Incentives
Many Canadians who are making the switch to an EV are benefitting from the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Program, which offers Canadians up to $5,000 to help reduce upfront costs. This incentive is additional to any provincial/territorial incentive offered. To date, more than 210,000 incentives to purchase a zero-emission vehicle have been provided to Canadians and Canadian businesses. When considering the total cost of ownership, including maintenance and fuel, drivers could save over $1,000 per year by choosing an EV.
