Ontario government is planning to invest $20 million to build nearly 500 electric vehicle charging stations at more than 250 locations across Ontario in 2017.
Through the $20 million Electric Vehicle Chargers Ontario (EVCO) grant program, the province is working with 27 public and private sector partners to create a network of fast-charging electric vehicle stations in cities, along highways and at workplaces, condominiums and public places across Ontario.
This expansion in charging infrastructure across the province will help address “range anxiety,” a common concern of consumers regarding the distance electric vehicles can travel compared to traditional vehicles. 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.
A shift to low- and zero-emission vehicles is vital to the fight against climate change and achieving Ontario’s greenhouse gas pollution reduction target of 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.
There are approximately 6,400 electric vehicles currently on the road in Ontario.