Reducing pollution from the transportation sector is critical to Canada achieving its climate targets. That's why the Government of Canada is making it easier for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EV) across the country.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of over $2.4 million in Indigo Park Canada to install 500 Level 2 EV chargers at 68 sites across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, three of which will be in Manitoba. Funded through Natural Resources Canada's Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), all chargers will be available to Canadians by March 2024. Indigo Park Canada also contributed over $2.4 million, bringing the total project cost to over $4.8 million.
Since 2016, Canada has invested a historic $1 billion to make EVs more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians. These investments are supporting the establishment of a coast-to-coast network of chargers in local areas where Canadians live, work and play, while federal rebates of up to $5,000 are helping more Canadians make the switch to an EV.
Budget 2022 provided an additional $1.7 billion to extend the government's purchase incentive program until March 2025 and to expand the types of vehicle models eligible under the program, which would include more vans, trucks and SUVs. In support of the government's objective of adding 50,000 zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) chargers to Canada's network, Budget 2022 also provided an additional $400 million to Natural Resources Canada to continue deploying zero-emission vehicle infrastructure by extending the ZEVIP to March 2027, complemented by $500 million that Canada's Infrastructure Bank will invest in large-scale ZEV charging and refuelling infrastructure that is revenue-generating and in the public interest.
These investments are yet another step in reaching Canada's target of ensuring all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada are zero-emission by 2035. And just like investments in everything from clean technology to nature protection, today's announcement is part of achieving Canada's ambitious climate change goals to build a cleaner, healthier and affordable future for all Canadians.
