May 5, 2022 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Natural Resources Canada
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 (EVs) in Newfoundland and Labrador and across the country.
Today, Joanne Thompson, Member of Parliament for St. John's East, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $805,000 investment to Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro to help support the installation of up to 113 EV chargers across the province.
This investment, which will make EV charging more accessible to all, is funded through Natural Resources Canada's Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP).
Through Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro's Commercial EV Charger Rebate Program, recipients will be selected through a transparent process, based on demand. Businesses, not-for-profit organizations and municipalities can receive a refund of up to 50 percent for costs required to install EV chargers. The EV chargers will then be installed in public places, on streets, at workplaces or at facilities for servicing light-duty vehicle fleets by March 2024.
Since 2015, 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 proposes to invest 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 ZEV chargers to Canada's network, Budget 2022 also provides 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.
