Ontario Expands Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Fast chargers now available at all ONroute locations ahead of summer

The Voice of Canada News:

The Ontario government is making it more convenient for electric vehicle (EV) owners to travel the province with EV fast chargers now installed at all 20 renovated ONroute stations along the province’s busiest highways, the 400 and 401.

“Our government is putting shovels in the ground to build critical infrastructure that will support Ontario’s growing EV manufacturing industry” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “With EV fast chargers now available at all 20 renovated ONroute stations along our province’s busiest highways it will be more convenient than ever this summer for workers and families to grab a coffee or a meal while charging their electric vehicle.”

The new fast charging stations are part of a historic EV charger roll-out announced in December 2021 by the Ontario government, Ivy Charging Network, ONroute, Canadian Tire and Natural Resources Canada. All stations are now equipped with at least two EV chargers at each site, with busier areas equipped with more. The chargers are available to all drivers on a pay-per-use basis and serve all vehicle types.

“With a total of 20 ONroute stations now equipped with EV fast chargers, our government continues to make life easier for those who drive electric vehicles,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “With more people switching to electric vehicles each year, we’re preparing for the future now by rapidly building the infrastructure needed to support a cleaner, greener, more accessible Ontario for zero-emission vehicle drivers.”

“Over the last two and a half years, Ontario has attracted over $25 billion in auto and EV battery related investments that will create more good-paying jobs and opportunities across the province,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Ontario is at the heart of the EV revolution, and the new EV fast chargers will help people and businesses more conveniently access charging on the go as we continue to build Ontario’s end-to-end EV supply chain.”

As the EV population grows, more chargers may be added at each site. These critical infrastructure builds will further encourage the electrification of the transportation sector in Ontario by making EV charging more accessible and utilize the province’s world-class clean electricity supply by shifting away from gas-powered vehicles.

The government also launched a new Ultra-Low Overnight electricity price plan which will support EV adoption and reduce emissions. The new electricity pricing structure is a third option for electricity customers, in addition to the existing Time-of-Use (TOU) and Tiered plans. Customers who use more electricity at night, including shift workers and those who electrically heat their home or charge their electric vehicle, could save up to $90 per year by shifting demand to the ultra-low overnight rate period when province-wide electricity demand is lower.

These initiatives build on the government’s Driving Prosperity: The Future of Ontario’s Automotive Sector plan to create a domestic EV battery ecosystem in the province and position Ontario as a North American automotive innovation hub, by working to support the continued pivot to electric, low-carbon, connected and autonomous vehicles.

Quick Facts

• As of May 2023, there are more than 118,000 EVs registered in Ontario, including both battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). By 2030, there are expected to be more than one million EVs on the road in Ontario.
• Three additional rest stops in Maple, Ingersoll and Newcastle will undergo planned renovations between 2023-2025 and will have EV fast chargers installed at that time.
• The Ivy Charging Network, a joint venture between Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation (OPG), is responsible for the installation, ownership, and operation of the fast chargers.
• Ivy’s fast chargers charge 40 cents a minute to charge an electric vehicle. With a fast charger most drivers can get a 150 km range of charge for as little as $7, depending on their vehicle.

Quotes

“We are excited to deliver on our commitment of bringing Ivy’s trusted and reliable Charge & Go fast-charger network to Ontario’s busiest routes in time for EV drivers to enjoy their summer road trips with confidence and ease. Through this partnership we’re ending range anxiety by providing reliable charging at convenient and accessible locations.”-Michael Kitchen, General Manager, Ivy Charging Network

“With EV fast chargers now available at 20 ONroute stations across Ontario, Canadians can drive in confidence knowing they have convenient and reliable access to the infrastructure they need to power their journeys. This marks an important milestone in our ongoing expansion of EV charging infrastructure across Canada, which will see approximately 140 EV charging stations open by the end of 2023. We are proud to celebrate this achievement alongside our partners and to help make life in Canada better for EV drivers of today and tomorrow.”-Micheline Davies
Senior Vice President, Automotive, Canadian Tire Corporation

“As highway travel diversifies, ONroute continues to expand its portfolio to include 69 IVY EV Charging Stations at 20 ONroute locations. The partnership with IVY contributes to a greener Ontario, provides EV drivers with a convenient place to stop and paves the way for the future of highway travel.”– Melanie Teed Murch, Chief Executive Officer at ONroute

“We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more available where Canadians live, work and play. Investing in more EV chargers, like these ones deployed across Ontario, will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a strong, healthy net-zero future.”- The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources