How to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles in Canada

MONTREAL, March 23, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ — Currently, there are close to 18,500 electric vehicles (EVs) on the road in Canada, 5 years after they were introduced to market. Still, Canada has half the number of EVs per inhabitant compared with the United States.

For Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), it is time to establish a strong national policy to bring EVs from an early adopter’s market to a mass market in Canada.

This is the conclusion of the National Roadmap for Accelerating the Deployment of Electric Vehicles in Canada, released this week by EMC, the only national not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of electric mobility in Canada.

“EMC is ready to take an active role in the implementation of electric transportation in Canada,” said Catherine Kargas, Chair of EMC.

“We are committed to rigorously monitoring broad scope fields such as autonomous vehicles, and on ongoing projects such as electric school buses and taxis in order to accelerate this energy efficient form of transportation.”

Recommended Measures

The report recommends high-priority strategies and concrete actions to increase the share of EVs in Canada. To reach all Canadians, the first measure is to raise public awareness for EVs by implementing a National Resource Centre and a Test Driving program, in conjunction with a National Awareness Campaign.

The second measure would include federal financial incentives to EV buyers to increase their return on investment by at least 1.5 years and make a significant impact on EV adoption, as observed in the US. Incentives should also be offered to employers to support workplace charging as the second most important location for charging, after home charging.

Finally, the purchase and installation of 150 direct current fast charging (DCFC) stations is recommended to complete a national EV highway. Government exemplarity and the evolution of building codes are also part of the recommendations.

In addition, with an increasing number of EVs in car sharing fleets, there is a need to test a newly developed business model within a municipality, and to extrapolate key elements and findings to other Canadian cities.

EMC recommends a national industry-academic consortium dedicated to EV research, development and innovation. For public transit, the sharing of results from electric bus demonstration projects, and the adequacy of these buses on transit routes will help determine the required projects needed for a concrete action plan.

“These recommendations are complementary to ongoing actions initiated in part by the private sector, utilities, EV drivers associations and governments”, said Chantal Guimont, President & CEO of EMC. “They represent an important lever to put in place in order to work closely with all actors in the EV field.”

EVs are 4 to 6 times cheaper to operate and result in reduced greenhouse gases, especially when “fuelled” by Canadian electricity from clean sources. They also contribute to stimulating a green economy and represent aready and available solution to Canada’s emerging energy and environmental issues.

EMC recognizes the clear direction of a clean growing economy as a pillar of the 2016 Budget.  The allocated investment to EVs and alternative transportation fuel infrastructure of $62.5M over the next two years is welcomed and was one of the priority measures recommended by EMC in its Roadmap, as investment in charging infrastructure is essential for increasing the adoption of EVs.

Expanding tax support for clean-energy eligible EV charging and electrical energy storage is also positive. The budget presents an increased allocation of funds for research in clean and sustainable technology.

EMC intends to work collaboratively and intensify discussions with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the funding of actions recommended in its Roadmap. There is an obvious synergy between a clean growing economy associated with transportation electrification, the objectives of the Low Carbon Fund and the innovative green municipal projects, investments in public transit.

For details and more information, please visit https://emc-mec.ca/activities/ev-roadmap/.