The Canadian federal government is allocating $84.4 million to fund the installation of over 8,000 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers nationwide, as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. The announcement, expected Tuesday, as well includes $5.7 million for three projects under the Green Freight program, aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the trucking sector and $7.2 million for 30 educational initiatives focused on EVs.
The funding comes after the release of the government’s auto strategy on Thursday, which outlined a $1.5 billion commitment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank to develop a National Charging Infrastructure Strategy. The strategy will also focus on skills training and attracting private investment to support large-scale EV projects.
Prime Minister Mark Carney recently repealed the controversial EV sales mandate, but his government maintains an ambitious goal of ensuring that 75 percent of new car sales are electric by 2035. Achieving this target will require a significant expansion of charging infrastructure across the country.
A 2024 estimate prepared for Natural Resources Canada suggests the nation will demand approximately 447,000 public charging ports, and 11.9 million home charging ports by 2035 to support a fully electrified vehicle fleet. While this projection was based on a scenario of 100 percent EV adoption, it provides a benchmark for the infrastructure needed to support the current 75 percent goal.
According to Natural Resources Canada, over 33,000 EV chargers have already been installed, with more than 18,000 additional chargers planned through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program. Travis Allan, president of the Canadian Charging Infrastructure Council, acknowledged the improvements but emphasized the need for further investment. “The infrastructure has improved dramatically over the last couple of years. It is not where it needs to be to service 75 per cent of all new vehicles sold in 2035,” Allan stated. “So there is a large investment opportunity here.”
The government is also considering referring improvements to the charging station network to the Major Projects Office, established under the Building Canada Act, in an effort to expedite deployment. CBC News reported last week that Ottawa was evaluating this option.
