As the shift to electric vehicles continues to ramp up in Canada, there has been a great deal of discussion surrounding the local EV charging infrastructure offered to current and future EV drivers. Fortunately, the Ivy Charging Network aims to make EV charging more accessible (and efficient) with the addition of 16 EV fast chargers along Highway 401 and 400.
For those unfamiliar, the Ivy Charging Network is a joint venture between Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation, and has already installed 58 Level 3 fast chargers at 16 ONroute locations. These chargers offer drivers charging speeds up to 150 kWs, which can charge an EV up to 100 km in just 10 minutes.
In coordination with its partners, Canadian Tire and the Ministry of Transportation, Ivy plans to bring bring Level 3 fast-charging stations to highways across the province. With this latest addition, Ivy will open at the Trenton North and South ONroute locations by the end of July. These stations will be followed by Barrie and King City ONroute locations by the end of 2022. As for the remaining three ONroute locations, fast-chargers will reportedly be installed by 2025.
At the same time, Manitoba is now set to see more electric vehicle charging stations installed throughout the province. On Tuesday, Terry Duguid, the MP for Winnipeg South, announced the feds have partnered with Manitoba Motor Dealers Association (MMDA) and Eco-West Canada, to bring 400 chargers to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This partnership will see the investment of $2.5 million from the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Fund to install up to 300 chargers, with 55 per cent allocated to Winnipeg, 35 per cent allocated to rural communities, and 10 per cent designated for northern Manitoba.
“This is a significant step forward in developing and expanding Manitoba’s electric vehicle charging network, making it easier for drivers to switch to electric vehicles,” said Kabeir Dilawri, a board member and past president of the MMDA. “Of these chargers, 75 per cent are level 2 chargers, producing between 3.3 and 19.2 kilowatts. Five per cent of them are chargers producing between 20 and 49 kilowatts, and 20 per cent are 50 kilowatts and above chargers.”