In 2020, Canada only sold 54,353 new electric vehicles, just 3.5% of the total number of new cars sold. While the pandemic is one strong reason for the low numbers, there are many more reasons people stray away from an electric vehicle.
Electric cars have a shorter range than gas-powered cars, so going on long trips can be inconvenient, especially when there’s a lack of charging stations. Other than that, these cars take almost an hour to charge. Electric vehicle sales are expected to boost in comping years, despite these advantages. Canada faces a huge deficit in public charging stations, which most people rely on for a quick charge.
Canadian government’s huge investment in electric vehicle infrastructure
Canada has around 6,000 charging stations spread across the country that supports the 3 percent EVs currently on the road. The government has also invested over $1 billion since 2015 to build the infrastructure. They have also been offering multiple incentives and tax rebates.
They plan to ensure all vehicles on the road will be zero emission by 2035 (it was set for 2040 earlier). This only means that there’ll be over 35 million zero emission electric cars that’ll require charging stations.
Currently, the Canadian government is offering a generous subsidy to build electric vehicle charging stations. Chevrolet announced in June 2021 that they’re offering a $750 credit to EV owners. FLO, a Quebec City-based startup, owns these charging stations. They own the most number of charging stations in Canada.
Removing another roadblock
To make the electric vehicle industry in Canada a success, EV automakers should allow car owners to charge at privately owned charging stations. It would also be the first step towards allowing EV car owners to charge at a public station without needing any apps. Wieser Electric specialises in charging station and residential wall connector installations in Kingston and surrounding areas. Contact us today for a free consultation with our licensed and experienced electrician.
