TORONTO—The province is planning to invest $20 million to build nearly 500 electric vehicle charging stations at more than 250 locations across Ontario in 2017.
The province states it is working with 27 public and private sector partners, through the Electric Vehicle Chargers Ontario (EVCO) grant program, to create charging stations in cities, along highways and at workplaces, condominiums and public places.
More than 200 applications to the EVCO program were received between Dec. 21, 2015 and Feb. 12, 2016, totalling more than $165 million in grant requests, the province states in a release.
"By building a more robust network of public chargers across Ontario, electric vehicle owners can now plan longer trips with more confidence that a charging station is as readily available as a gas station is," the release reads.
The charging infrastructure is two fold, the province explains, as it will help address "range anxiety," for consumers worried about the distance electric vehicles can travel compared to traditional vehicles, and it will also help combat climate change by creating a shift to low- and zero-emission vehicles.
It’s part of Ontario’s greenhouse gas pollution reduction target of 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. This funding comes from Ontario’s $325-million Green Investment Fund, which is a down payment on the province’s cap and trade program, the release explains.
There are approximately 6,400 electric vehicles currently on the road in Ontario.
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