This month new eligibility requirements for federal ZEVIP funding for EV chargers went into effect, following tariffs on Chinese EVs

Charging infrastructure providers are grappling with a new set of rules in order to access the federal government’s zero-emission vehicle infrastructure program (ZEVIP) funding.

This month, the government adjusted ZEVIP eligibility. Under the new rules only zero-emission refuelling products (including charging stations) made in Canada or in countries with a free trade agreement with Canada will be eligible for funding.

Previously all charging equipment would be eligible regardless of country of origin.

“As of October 1, 2024, ZEVIP will no longer support products made in countries with which Canada does not have a free trade agreement,” says a spokesperson for Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), which manages the ZEVIP funding.

“The eligibility is based on country of origin of the products and not any specific brand.”

Eligibility requirements

To assist with understanding which countries supplying equipment are still eligible for funding, NRCan provides a list on their website.

Only “countries that have free trade agreements ‘in force’ with Canada” will be eligible for funding, states the NRCan spokesperson.

These countries include: the United States, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Colombia, Costa Rica, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden), Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Republic of Korea, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Notable common charging equipment suppliers like China, Taiwan and India do not have a free trade agreement in force with Canada.

Protecting Canada’s interests

When the government began consultations on imposing tariffs in July it was done with an aim to create regulations that would “level the playing field for Canadian workers and allow Canada’s EV industry and steel and aluminum producers to compete in domestic, North American, and global markets.”

The result of the consultations is a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese-made EVs (largely affecting Polestar and Tesla in the passenger vehicle segment) and a 25 per cent surtax on Chinese steel and aluminium products.

At the same time as the government announced the new tariffs in August, they indicated changes were coming to ZEVIP.

Shortly thereafter, the government held an information session on September 12 to “provide guidance” specifically on how charging products would be affected by the ZEVIP changes.

The NRCan spokesperson tells Electric Autonomy the new ZEVIP measures will be up for review in one year.

“Longer-term, NRCan will continue to welcome feedback on the ZEVIP program, as we do with all our programs,” says the spokesperson.