Auto dealers may be interested in the federal government’s latest announcement of providing more than $25 million for 33 projects meant to improve electric vehicle charging availability, decarbonize freight transportation, and develop innovative technologies for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
While the funding is not aimed directly at light vehicles, the move may be an indication of the government’s continued focus on creating overall infrastructure for electric vehicles to make “zero-emission vehicles more practical for Canadian families and companies” and encourage “innovation that will strengthen Canada’s auto sector.” Whether that means the government will maintain its ZEV mandate is yet to be seen.
The announcement was made by Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, who said “we are accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles with the installation of more than 850 additional EV chargers across Canada, many of which will be in Quebec, and by empowering breakthrough Canadian technologies that improve electric vehicle performance, safety and reliability in Canada.”
The federal government said Natural Resources Canada contributed more than $9.7 million to 23 projects to install the EV chargers across the country through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program. NRCan also contributed $8 million for six projects under the Energy Innovation Program (EIP) to drive innovation in the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sectors and address operational challenges for electric fleets.
“With Green Freight funding, we are proving that clean transportation is not just for consumers, but also for commercial, industrial and municipal fleets that are transforming the economy across sectors while lowering our emissions,” said Guay in a statement.
