The Province of Ontario has pledged that it will build nearly 500 electric vehicle charging stations in 2017 at over 250 locations throughout the province.
With an express goal of easing range anxiety for Ontario EV drivers, charging stations have been earmarked for key locations such as city centres, highways, and at workplaces, condominiums, and public spaces.
Backed by Ontario's Green Investment Fund as announced in 2015, the Electric Vehicle Chargers Ontario grant program will see the province invest $20 million in the project and work with 27 different public and private sector companies.
The move is part of a stated goal to encourage Ontario drivers to shift to low- and zero-emission vehicles. With 6,400 EVs already on the road in the province, the government says further shift is vital to fight climate change and achieve its greenhouse gas pollution reduction target of 37% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below by 2050.
As well as charging station infrastructure the $325 million Green Investment Fund includes "energy retrofits for single-family homes and affordable housing, support for Indigenous communities, industry and small and medium-sized businesses, and helping local organizations fight climate change." Over 200 applications for the Electric Vehicle Charger Ontario program have been received, representing $165 million in grant requests.
