The chargers will mostly be installed in Quebec with the funding being divided between 20 projects

A raft of new electric vehicle chargers are coming to Canada following the government’s announcement that it is investing $25 million into 33 charging projects.

The funding, announced by Claude Guay, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, will support, in part, approximately 850 EV chargers, with most located in Quebec.

It comes from three streams: $9.7 million from Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), $8 million from NRCan’s Energy Innovation Program (EIP) and $7.9 million from NRCan’s Green Freight Program (GFP).

Much of the funding will go to EV chargers and battery and grid energy storage systems R&D.

The $7.9 million in funding from the GFP will go towards supporting adoption of low-carbon fuel commercial trucks.

ZEVIP funding recipients

The projects that will divide the $9.7 million in funding from ZEVIP are:

Recipient: Propulsion Québec
Location: Across Québec
Funding amount: $3,000,000
Description: Propulsion Québec will support the installation of up to 320 Level 2 EV chargers in public places, on-street, in multi-family buildings, workplaces or for light-duty vehicle fleets, in Québec. This addition to an original agreement brings the total funding to $7 million and a target of 1,000 Level 2 EV chargers.

Recipient: Les Petroles R.L. Inc.
Location: Across Québec
Funding amount: $1,770,000
Description: The proponent will install 28 Level 2 and 34 EV fast chargers across Québec.

Recipient: Kruger Energie
Location: Crabtree, Québec
Funding amount: $1,500,000
Description:  The developer will install 20 fast-charging stations for its fleet of heavy vehicles in Crabtree. This project aims to continue the decarbonization of transport on Kruger’s internal roads, connecting production sites to warehouses.

Recipient: Zone Signature
Location: Boucherville, Repentigny and Québec City, Québec 
Funding amount: $1,220,000
Description: Zone Signature is developing four smart fast-charging stations in Québec, with 15 charging points accessible 24/7, including two in Boucherville, the project’s flagship sites. Partially powered by solar panels and BESS systems, they optimize energy efficiency and reduce peak demand. The user experience is at the heart of the concept, with intuitive signage and an inclusive environment that is also suitable for commercial fleets. Each station offers complementary services: free Wi-Fi, benches, tire inflators, window washers and dynamic signage. These stations focus on community integration and energy performance. Two other sites in Repentigny and Québec City will complete this strategic network.

Recipient: Indigo Park Canada Inc.
Location: Québec, Ontario and British Columbia
Funding amount: $696,500
Description: Through seven projects, the proponent will install 140 Level 2 EV chargers across Québec, Ontario and British Columbia. 

Recipient: Saroukian Holdings Ltd.
Location: Laval, Québec
Funding amount: $399,181
Description: The proponent will install 210 Level 2 EV chargers at its residential complex in Laval, Québec.

Recipient:  IKEA Distribution Services CA, Inc.
Location: Beauharnois, Québec
Funding amount: $300,000
Description:  The proponent will install three Level 3 EV chargers to service heavy-duty drayage trucks at their distribution centre.

Recipient: Aéroport de Québec Inc.  
Location: Québec City, Québec
Funding amount: $250,000
Description: The proponent will install 20 Level 2 EV chargers and two EV fast chargers at the Aéroport de Québec.

Recipient: Kia Brossard (9107-7164 Québec Inc.)
Location: Brossard, Québec
Funding amount: $130,000
Description: The proponent will install six Level 2 EV chargers and two EV fast chargers.

Recipient: Canadian Apartment Properties  Real Estate Investment Trust
Location:  British Columbia, Québec, Nova Scotia and Ontario
Funding amount: $120,000
Description: The proponent will install 24 Level 2 EV chargers across Canada. 

Recipient: Syndicat des copropriétaires Les Terrasses du Lac, Phase 1
Location: Brossard, Québec
Funding amount: $116,394
Description: The proponent will install 25 Level 2 EV chargers in the parking lot of a residential building.

Recipient: Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM)
Location: Montreal, Québec
Funding amount: $100,000
Description: The proponent will install two Level 2 EV chargers and two EV fast chargers for a fleet of ambulances in Montreal.

Recipient: Mercedes Benz Rive-Sud
Location: Longueuil, Québec
Funding amount: $99,999
Description: The proponent will install two EV fast chargers for public use in Longueuil, Québec.

Recipient: Windmill Dream Québec 11 LP
Location: Gatineau, Québec
Funding amount: $24,566
Description: The proponent will install 24 level 2 EV chargers at a multi-unit residential building location in Gatineau, Québec. 

EIP funding recipients

The projects that will divide the $8 million in funding from EIP are:

Recipient: Gamotech Inc.
Location: Montreal, Québec (and surrounding municipalities)
Funding amount: $2,000,000
Description: This project will develop mobile auxiliary energy storage and distribution systems for zero-emission heavy-duty electric trucks that provide auxiliary pneumatic, hydraulic, and electric energy to power job-site equipment such as lifts, drills, welders, and saws that are essential for municipal, public and construction works.

Recipient: Polara Energy Inc.
Location: Longueuil, Québec
Funding amount: $1,500,000
Description: This project will develop an electric vehicle fleet charging infrastructure solution with significantly improved energy-efficiency and added features such as an integrated energy management system and vehicle-to-grid capability.

Recipient: EV Technologies Inc.
Location: Saint-Eustache, Québec
Funding amount: $1,500,000
Description:  The aim of this project is to create a safer, more-durable battery with higher energy density for use in the commercial vehicle sector.

Recipient: Calogy Solutions
Location: Sherbrooke, Québec
Funding amount: $1,500,000
Description: This project will develop a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack prototype for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. 

Recipient: Mogile Technologies Inc.
Location: Montreal, Québec
Funding amount: $930,000
Description: The objective of this project is to provide EV supply equipment owners, charging networks, infrastructure funders and EV owners with data on infrastructure uptime, charging success, power output and reliability. 

Recipient: Destrier Electric
Location: Montreal, Québec
Funding amount: $600,000
Description: The objective of this project is to optimize the charging process of vehicle lithium-ion batteries in northern or remote regions, to improve efficiency, ensure safety and preserve the health of components over time. Through this project, a module will be developed to enhance communication between vehicles and charging infrastructure to optimize charging at the cell level.

Supporting the ZEV mandate

The latest funding announcement demonstrates the federal government is holding firm to its ZEV mandate adoption target.

That means automakers will be expected to have 20 per cent of all new vehicle sales in 2026 be zero-emission vehicles. Under the government’s definition that includes battery-electric, hydrogen and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

To support the transition the government has set a sister target of reaching 50,000 EV chargers nationally by 2030.

NRCan’s website shows there are at least 13,623 public charging stations, currently.