Reducing pollution from the transportation sector is critical to Canada achieving its climate targets. That's why the Government of Canada is making it easier for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EVs) in British Columbia, Alberta and across the country.
On December 2, John Aldag, Member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $5-million investment in Parkland to install 76 EV fast chargers at public retail fuel and convenience locations in British Columbia and Alberta. These chargers will be available to British Columbians and Albertans by March 2024.
The project also received an investment of more than $1.8 million from the Province of British Columbia.
Since 2016, the Government of Canada has invested a historic $1 billion to make EVs more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians. These investments are supporting the establishment of a coast-to-coast network of chargers in local areas where Canadians live, work and play, while federal rebates of up to $5,000 are helping more Canadians make the switch to an EV.
Budget 2022 provided an additional $1.7 billion to extend the government's purchase incentive program until March 2025 and to expand the types of vehicle models eligible under the program, which would include more vans, trucks and SUVs. In support of the government's objective of adding 50,000 zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) chargers to Canada's network, Budget 2022 also provided an additional $400 million to Natural Resources Canada to continue deploying zero-emission vehicle infrastructure by extending the ZEVIP to March 2027, complemented by $500 million that Canada's Infrastructure Bank will invest in large-scale ZEV charging and refuelling infrastructure that is revenue-generating and in the public interest.
The Government of Canada continues to invest in decarbonizing the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sector. Earlier today, Minister Alghabra announced two forthcoming calls for proposals. The first will seek projects for Stream 1 of the nearly $200-million Green Freight Program, which will help fleets improve energy efficiency and reduce both fuel costs and emissions. The second will launch a new medium- and heavy-duty stream under the Zero Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative, supporting outreach, education and capacity-building activities to enable greater adoption of zero-emission vehicles and lower-emission alternatives across the sector in all regions of the country.
Earlier today, Minister Wilkinson announced that the government will invest $160,000 in the City of Stratford to install 23 EV chargers in public places. These investments are yet another step in reaching Canada's target of ensuring all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada are zero-emission by 2035. And just like investments in everything from clean technology to nature protection, today's announcement is part of achieving Canada's ambitious climate change goals to build a cleaner, healthier and affordable future for all Canadians.
