Federal funding boosts electric vehicle chargers across Canada
To move Canada’s transition to increasing the number of zero emission vehicles on the road, the federal government is making a $25 million-plus invest in assisting companies put in place more electric vehicle charger and building charging hubs for those vehicles.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Claude Guay announced more than $25 million for 33 projects aimed at improving electric vehicle (EV) charging availability, decarbonizing freight transportation and developing innovative technologies for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
This investment is meant to make zero-emission vehicles more practical for Canadian families and companies, encouraging innovation that will strengthen Canada's auto sector.
One company benefitting from the investment is Propulsion Québec, which will receive $3 million to support the installation of up to 320 Level 2 EV chargers in public places, on-street, in multi-family buildings, workplaces or for light-duty vehicle fleets, in Québec. This addition to an original agreement brings the total funding to $7 million and a target of 1,000 Level 2 EV chargers.
"We are taking bold steps to make Canada an energy superpower,” said the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson. “Through these projects, we are delivering practical on-the-ground solutions for Quebecers with EVs and partnering with Quebec industry to drive the decarbonization of the transportation sector while strengthening our supply chains and energy independence. Investments like this are how we build a cleaner, more secure and more competitive economy."
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) contributed more than $9.7 million to 23 projects to install more than 850 EV chargers across Canada through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). These investments will make it easier for Canadians to access convenient electric vehicle charging stations at their workplaces, in public spaces, along highways and where they live in multi-unit buildings.
Additionally, NRCan contributed $8 million for six projects under the Energy Innovation Program (EIP). These projects will drive innovation in the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sectors, address real-world operational challenges for electric fleets and support the development of Canadian intellectual property.
NRCan's Green Freight Program (GFP) contributed the remaining $7.9 million for four projects, which are helping the transportation, construction and public works industry modernize their fleets, lower fuel costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“With Green Freight funding, we are proving that clean transportation is not just for consumers, but also for commercial, industrial and municipal fleets that are transforming the economy across sectors while lowering our emissions," said Guay.
Since 2016, the Government of Canada has allocated more than $1 billion in funding to support the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations across the country.
