Canada Pours C$10.6 Million Into Charging Network Amid EV Push

Canada announced it is investing C$10.6 million in 14 EV charging infrastructure projects across the country, as the Government continues to extend the intent of its recently launched Auto Strategy — that includes a focus on electric vehicles.

The announcement was made on April 9 at the EV & Charging Expo in Toronto, by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry Karim Bardeesy, on behalf of Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson.

The 14 projects are expected to install more than 1,600 chargers nationwide.

The federal Department of Natural Resources will also provide an additional C$1.1 million to the Plug’n Drive program — extending its cross-country EV test drive tour, first funded in 2024.

Targeted at small and medium-sized communities — where EV adoption remains lower than in major urban centres — the programme allows residents to compare multiple models and speak with EV experts in person.

“Canada’s new Auto Strategy laid out our plan for a connected, electric, clean future that creates jobs and makes it easy and affordable for Canadians to get around,” Hodgson said. “

According to the Minister, the Government aims to get “more EV chargers built every month so that Canadians can choose EVs with confidence.”

Bardeesy added that the funding would target chargers “where Canadians need them most,” both in Toronto, Ontario, and beyond.

Since 2016, Ottawa has committed more than C$1.2 billion to the deployment of EV chargers and hydrogen refuelling stations across the country, the government website states.