Only two provinces have EV-ready legislation, resulting in a patchwork of rules among cities and towns
More than 60 Canadian municipalities and two provinces have codified requirements for new buildings to install EV charging.
Only two provinces have EV-ready legislation, resulting in a patchwork of rules among cities and towns
Canadian municipalities are carrying out behind-the-scenes work to ensure that the infrastructure needed to support zero-emission vehicles is ready when drivers are.
In the last two years, over a dozen more municipalities have added EV-ready requirements to their building codes, an Electric Autonomy survey of bylaws across the country has found.
A review of all 10 provinces and three territories shows, in total, more than 60 municipalities and two provinces have codified requirements for new buildings to install EV charging (or provide rough-ins for future EV charging).
That’s a roughly 20 per cent increase from 2024.
Provincial-level oversight
The majority of the Canadian EV-ready municipalities — 33 — are in British Columbia. Ontario follows with 17 municipalities.
Meanwhile Quebec appears to be taking a provincial-level oversight of EV-ready requirements, unlike the rest of Canada which is largely leaving it to the lower levels of government, which creates a national patchwork approach.
Quebec, however, along with British Columbia, is one of only two provinces in the country to have provincial EV-ready legislation.
PARTNER MESSAGE
There are no municipal or provincial EV-ready requirements in Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
And while there are no formal bylaws in place in Calgary, St. John’s and Halifax, the cities are considering future steps through proposals.
A barrier to EV adoption
For those living in urban areas, the increase in the number of jurisdictions taking a more direct role in ensuring access to EV charging is available is welcome news.
Lack of charging is a common problem and barrier to EV adoption for condo and multi-unit residential building (MURB) residents.
Those living in stratas, townhouses or semi-detached homes can face similar barriers with neighbours and board sometimes resisting charger installation due to costs and a lack of education and policy guidance.
For the full list of municipalities and provinces across Canada with EV-ready bylaws and legislation please visit Electric Autonomy’s EV-Ready MURB Tracker here.
