New EV Chargers Coming to British Columbia
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 British Columbia and across the country.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $1-million investment to the Community Energy Association to help support the installation of up to 90 EV chargers across British Columbia’s Kootenay region.
This investment, which will make EV charging more accessible to all, is funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP).
The Community Energy Association will select recipients through a transparent process, based on demand. The EV chargers will then be installed in public places, multi-unit residential buildings, on streets, at workplaces or at facilities for servicing light-duty vehicle fleets by October 2023.
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 zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) chargers to Canada’s network, Budget 2022 also provides an additional $400 million to Natural Resources Canada for deploying ZEV infrastructure by extending the ZEVIP program 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.