Canada Invests $4.3 Million Into B.C.’s Electric Vehicle Network
The Government of Canada is making it clear they want to see electric vehicles succeed in the country.
The federal government has announced a $4.3 million investment aimed at expanding electric vehicle charging and refuelling infrastructure, this time aimed at the province of British Columbia. The money will hopefully help Canadians make greener choices when it comes to transportation and encourage their widespread adoption of alternative fuel vehicles.
“We appreciate the federal government’s continuing support to increase the adoption of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles,” said Michelle Mungall, B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. “Together, we are making zero-emission transportation more accessible and affordable by supporting innovation, deploying infrastructure and helping British Columbians benefit from lower maintenance and fuel costs.”
The funding will be split across three projects, all involving the research and implementation of electric vehicle (EV) and alternative fuel charging stations.
The British Columbia Institute of Technology will look to improve the electrical grids’ existing capacity with new technology for level two EV charging stations in urban areas and commercial lots. They will also develop a way to control and monitor EV chargers from different vendors.
The Hydrogen technology & Energy Corporation (HTEC) will install a retail hydrogen fuelling station in the Vancouver area. That location will be part of a six-station network spread across B.C.’s lower mainland and the city of Victoria, all meant to encourage adoption of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles.
“Zero-emission, hydrogen-fuelled fuel cell electric vehicles are entering markets globally and will help Canada meets its clean air and carbon emission reduction targets,” said Colin Armstrong, HTEC’s president and CEO. “HTEC is proud to be working with partners like the Government of Canada to build out B.C.’s retail hydrogen refuelling network and support initial FCEV rollouts.”
Finally, B.C. Hydro will show off a level two EV charger that can be used in multi-unit residential, commercial or municipal buildings. Beyond this, they will also deploy 21 level three EV fast chargers across the province.
In addition to the $4.3 million from the federal government, the Province of British Columbia’s Clean Energy Vehicle (CEV) program will provide $1.4 million to support the HTEC and B.C. Hydro projects.
This federal investment builds on the government’s overall plan to invest $182.5 million into growing Canada’s electric and alternative fuel vehicle ecosystem. This builds on other initiatives including one in Ontario where the government covered 80 per cent of the price to install hundreds of new EV charging stations.
Other provinces have introduced strict measures to grow adoption of electric vehicles, such as Quebec’s zero-emission mandates which went into effect this past January. Still, many experts believe Canada is lagging behind when it comes to EV adoption, so the continued investment in infrastructure is welcome.
