Canada Invests in Ontario’s Electric Vehicle Network
As Canada transitions to a cleaner economy, GHG emission reductions in the transportation sector are necessary. To spur innovation and encourage the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) the Government of Canada is providing Canadians with more options to purchase, charge and drive zero emission vehicles.
The federal government is investing $8 million to build 160 fast chargers at 73 locations for EVs across the province of Ontario.
Funding, which Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Navdeep Bains announced, is provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Iniative, and will allow Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation to build one of the province’s largest EV networks.
Nationally, the Government of Canada is investing over $300 million to support the establishment of a coast-to-coast network of fast-chargers for EVs, charging stations at apartment buildings, public places and workplaces, and hydrogen stations in metropolitan centres.
Bains said, “Our government is committed to supporting innovative, green infrastructure projects that will bring us closer to a competitive, zero-emissions transportation sector. Today’s investment will ensure that Canadian made solutions are at the forefront of solving the global climate change crisis.”
Theresa Dekker, Vice President of Corporate Business Development and Strategy at Ontario Power Generation, and Co-chair of the Ivy Charging Network, added, “Having delivered the world’s largest single climate change action to date with the closure of our coal stations, OPG’s clean power serves as a strong platform to electrify carbon-heavy sectors like transportation. That’s why we’re so pleased to be partnering with Hydro One on an initiative that will broaden the benefits of electrification, providing a reliable, integrated network while ensuring no additional cost to ratepayers.”