Ontario, Quebec getting more EV chargers through fed investment

Ontario and Quebec are set to get a ton of new electric vehicle (EV) charging thanks to new government investment.

Announced on June 30th, the federal government will invest over $3.5 million in Baseload Power to install 31 Level 2 EV chargers and 67 fast chargers across the two provinces. The funding comes from Natural Resource Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). The project’s total cost is over $10.5 million.

Moreover, all the chargers will be available by November 2022.

“We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more accessible where Canadians live, work and play. Investing in more EV chargers, like the ones announced today in Ontario, will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a net-zero future and help achieve our climate goals,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, in a press release.

Canada has invested $1 billion since 2015 to improve EV affordability and charger accessibility. That includes helping to establish a “coast-to-coast network” of chargers and federal rebates of up to $5,000 for Canadians who switch to EVs.

The government’s 2022 budget includes an additional $1.7 billion to extend that incentive program until March 2025. Additionally, the extension adds new types of vehicles to the program, such as vans, trucks, and SUVs. The budget also provides an extra $400 million to Natural Resources Canada to continue deploying zero-emission vehicle infrastructure by extending the ZEVIP to March 2027.

You can learn more about the EV charger announcement here.

Update 07/02/2022 at 01:18pm ET: Corrected a typo in the second paragraph to ‘Baseload Power.’

Source: Natural Resources Canada