Feds fund more electric vehicle chargers in Oakville, Kitchener
Published February 17, 2023 at 5:10 pm
Federal funding announced Friday will help put a real charge into electric vehicle drivers in Oakville and Kitchener.
Oakville MP and Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand announced a $53,000 investment by the Canadian government in Geotab Inc. to install 11 Level 2 EV chargers in Oakville and nine in Kitchener, which are now available for use.
Geotab Inc. has also matched the funding amount, bringing the total project cost to over $106,000.
“We are determined to deliver real action in the fight against climate change,” said Anand, who made the announcement on behalf of Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources. “That’s why we are making crucial investments to support Oakville and communities across Canada in achieving net zero while helping drivers save money at the pump.
“Today’s investment with Geotab will deploy EV chargers in our town that will help to reduce pollution and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and affordable future for our kids.”
The funding is aimed at helping Canada achieve its climate targets and make it easier for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EVs) in Ontario and across the country.
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Since 2016, the Government of Canada has invested $1 billion to make EVs more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians. Federal rebates of up to $5,000 are provide for Canadians make the switch to an EV.
“We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more accessible where Canadians live, work and play,” said Wilkinson. “Investing in more EV chargers, like the ones announced today in Oakville and Kitchener, will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a net-zero future and help achieve our climate goals.”
Transportation accounts for 25 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.
With the funds invested to date by the ZEVIP, more than 34,500 new charging stations will be installed from coast to coast by 2027.
The 2022 federal budget also provided Natural Resources Canada’s ZEVIP with an additional $400 million, and Canada’s Infrastructure Bank will invest $500 million to deploy an additional 50,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2027.
All helping in the effort to ensure all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada are zero-emission by 2035.
“Sustainability is one of our pillars, and we’re looking into what is actually beneficial to the public by making the best use of the infrastructure,” said Bojana Zuna, Geotab Facilities Manager.
“Opening the charging stations for free to the public speaks to how Geotab gives back. We’re providing affordability to others by being able to use our infrastructure.”
To date, over 150,000 Canadians and Canadian businesses have taken advantage of the federal incentive to purchase a ZEV.
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