The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) will receive $2 million in funding by the Ministry of Natural Resources Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program to help pay for 294 electric vehicle charging stations.
The announcement was made on January 25 in collaboration with The Atmospheric Fund (TAF), a Toronto-based climate agency that invests in low-carbon solutions for the GTHA through stakeholders in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.
TAF Chief Executive Officer Julia Langer said electrifying cars, trucks, and transit is a key pathway to a net-zero carbon future, but access to charging stations is a barrier that prevents individuals and companies from purchasing EVs.
“The reality is that 46 per cent of Ontario residents don’t live in single-family homes and those that do, not all of them have a driveway or a garage (to charge their vehicles),” said Langer. “Solving this charging pinch point is key to achieving the single-largest urban carbon reduction opportunity.”
Langer said support from the EV Station Fund is available to municipalities, municipal agencies, non-profit organizations, and multi-family building owners such as apartments and condos.
“These are the toughest nuts to crack when it comes to accessing places to charge,” she said. “We want to ensure everyone can join the charging network and have fair access to EV adoption.”
She said EV stations and recipients will receive contributions of up to 50 per cent of the cost of the purchase, and installation of their EV stations up to a maximum of $100,000. She adds that her organization is also offering additional funding for technical advice in the planning and installation of projects.
Recipients will be selected through a transparent process, based on demand, after which all EV chargers will be installed in public places, multi-unit residential buildings, streets, workplaces, or facilities for servicing light-duty vehicle fleets by December 2023.
The Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program began five years ago and runs to the end of 2024, with a total funding of $280 million. Its objective is to address the lack of charging and refuelling stations in Canada.
Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said: “What we’re talking about is putting together the pieces today to make EVs more accessible. It’s something that comes up in my community (Toronto-Danforth) where a lot of people don’t have a garage or their own driveway. These public stations are so central and important.”
