The funding supports 18 private and government projects to install, collectively, over 1,150 Level 2 and 480 DC fast EV chargers

The federal government is providing $28,292,086 in funding for 1,578 new electric vehicle chargers.

Top government officials were on hand in Quebec City this week to make the announcement. There are 18 projects that will include 1,151 LeveL 2 chargers and 481 DC fast chargers.

The federal funding is being provided through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP).

All of the chargers, with the exception of the CN Railway project, will be in Quebec.

“Today, I announced federal investments to deliver over 1,500 new chargers across Quebec, from Rimouski to Gatineau and beyond,” reads a statement from minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson.

Earlier this month Electric Autonomy reported quarterly vehicle sales data from S&P. New EV registrations in Q2 2023 hit an all-time high of 10.5 per cent market share, nationally. More than 40 per cent of the EVs tallied are in Quebec.

“More and more Quebecers are choosing to move towards electric vehicles and the Government of Canada continues to help them make the switch thanks to purchase incentives and charging infrastructure,” said Pablo Rodriguez, minister of Transport, in press materials.

In 2019 the federal iZEV purchase incentive program came into effect. Since then nearly 260,000 rebates for EV purchases have been issued. Of those, more than half — almost 137,000 — have gone to Quebec drivers.

“While there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of charging infrastructure deployment, there is no doubt that with today’s announcement, we are heading in the right direction,” said Electric Mobility Canada president and CEO Daniel Breton.

Funding recipients

The $28 million in funding will go to government and private corporations. The major funding amounts given to each includes:

• $21.7 million to Hydro Québec for seven projects to install 1,194 chargers, including 385 fast chargers;
• $4.4 million to CN to support 62 fast chargers (12 in Quebec, 50 in the rest of Canada);
• $1.3 million to Les Pétroles R.L. Inc. to deploy 57 chargers across Quebec;
• $375,000 to Bell Canada to install 75 Level 2 chargers at workplaces across Quebec;
• A total of $423,708 to Syndicat des copropriétaires Lowney sur Ville for two projects to install 85 Level 2 chargers in multi-use residential buildings (MURBS) in Montreal;
• $133,775 to the Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais to deliver 23 chargers across the Outaouais region;
• $88,311 to the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport to support the installation of 31 EV chargers;
• $214,361 to Saroukian Holdings Ltd. to install 40 Level 2 chargers in Laval;
• $120,000 to Société de développement et de mise en valeur du Parc olympique to install 24 Level 2 chargers in Montreal;
• $48,807 to Les Entreprise Alfred Boivin to install 20 Level 2 chargers in Chicoutimi; and
• $575,000 to Ikea Properties Ltd. to install two Level 2 chargers and 15 fast chargers in Beauharnois.

The government is allocating funding for another 126 chargers across the province. Those will be installed by an unspecified partner, “all of which will be available by 2025,” reads the release.