Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • login
  • HOME
  • News
    • News by Brand
    • Auto Shows
    • Canadians Abroad
    • Photo Galleries
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • Retail
    • Dealer Best Practices
    • Government Relations
    • Trade and Tariffs
    • Technology
    • Labour
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Ferrari
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • Stellantis
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Fiat Chrysler
      • Jeep
      • Fiat
      • Lancia
      • Maserati
      • Ram
    • Subaru
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
    • Volvo
    • VinFast
    • Toronto Auto Show
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • 2022 Auto News Canada All-Stars
    • 2022 Canadians To Watch
    • 2022 Diversity Champions
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
    • Canada Congress
    • Retail Forum: Dealer Discussions
    • Leading Women Roundtables
    • Embracing Diversity Roundtable
    • EVs Decoded
  • Jobs & Classifieds
  • +MORE
    • IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT
    • NEWSLETTERS
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • CLASSIFIEDS
    • PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
    • COMPANIES ON THE MOVE
    • WEBINARS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • CONTACT US
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • PUBLISHING PARTNERS
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Electric Vehicles
December 20, 2021 03:37 PM

Canada's EV charging goals not ambitious enough, says CVMA's Brian Kingston

Canada hopes for one charger for every 20 EVs by 2025, and one for every 49 by 2050

The Canadian Press
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Generic EV Charging

    OTTAWA — The federal government is promising to spend close to $880 million over the next four years to build about 65,000 new charging stations for electric or fuel cell-powered passenger vehicles.

    But an industry group representing some of Canada's biggest automakers says Canada needs to be building millions of stations.

    Brian Kingston, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association, said a national electric-charging network needs years of careful planning to ensure the charging stations are available when and where people need them.

    "We haven't done the planning and we haven't put the investment into a charging network," he said.

    Canada is mandating EV sales — 50 per cent of new cars sold in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035 — but nobody is taking the lead to make sure people know what that means for how much electricity, or how many charging stations, will be needed, he added.

    The association represents three of Canada's biggest automakers — Ford, GM and the new multinational Stellantis, formed earlier this year in a merger that now represents brands such as Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler.

    Kingston said automakers are committed to the transition to electric — the three companies the association represents are investing US$100 billion in electrification over the next few years, with plans to bring 120 new EV models to the market.

    But he said new models and more supply would solve only one piece of the electric transition, because if the charging networks don't keep pace, people aren't going to make the switch.

    Or, even worse, they're going to switch back, he said.

    A study published in Nature Energy journal last spring said as many as one in five zero-emission vehicle owners went back to gas power because of inconvenient charging access.

    "So I just use that as a caution to government that, you know, we better start planning this like tomorrow," he said.

    He argues Canada hasn't done the planning and instead has a fractured response with very low ambitions compared to the rest of the world.

    Canada currently has about 15,000 public or semi-private chargers available, and at least another 2,000 are in various stages of construction with public funding. Natural Resources Canada has another $180 million in the existing budget to build 17,000 or so more in the next three years.

    The Liberals promised to spend another $700 million by 2026 to build an additional 50,000 new ones.

    Kingston said to keep pace with Europe's goal of having one public charger for every 10 EVs, Canada will need almost four million chargers by 2050. To get to California's goal of one for every seven vehicles, that's closer to six million needed in Canada.

    An analysis done for Natural Resources Canada recently suggested Canada will need, on average, one charger for every 20 EVs by 2025 and, after more EVs roll on to streets, the ratio would fall to about one in every 49 vehicles by 2050.

    "It's obvious that we don't have an ambitious enough plan to build charging infrastructure," Kingston said, adding overbuilding is needed at first to encourage EV adoption.

    The Natural Resources analysis also notes that longer term, it's more likely that public chargers will need to be high-speed, capable of recharging a car in less than an hour.

    The International Energy Agency said this year Canada has about 0.06 publicly available chargers for every EV on the road, ranking about 20th in the world, neck and neck with the United States as a whole.

    In November, an Ernst and Young analysis of the EV readiness of the world's 10 biggest auto markets said Canada was in the bottom three, largely because of low demand and a lacklustre charging system. China is on top, followed by Sweden and Germany.

    Wilf Steimle, president of the Electric Vehicle Society, said charging is one of the biggest concerns raised by people thinking about making the switch.

    "What owners care about is, by the time I've gone to the bathroom, and grab another cup of coffee, is my car ready to go, because I don't want to stand there waiting for it for half an hour or so," he said.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Suzuki taps two-speed transmission by Canada's Inmotive to power EVs
    Recommended for You
    Inmotive Ingear Transmission
    Suzuki taps two-speed transmission by Canada's Inmotive to power EVs
    MANCHIN-01_i.jpg
    Proposed bill would immediately cut off U.S. credits for EVs that don't meet battery rules
    Hyundai Kona Electric rtrs web.jpg
    Canadian ZEV registrations jump to another record high in Q3
    Google Canada exec on navigating auto consumer behaviour trends
    Sponsored Content: Google Canada exec on navigating auto consumer behaviour trends
    Digital Edition
    Jan 2023 Issue
    View latest issue
    See our archive
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up today for our Weekly Newsletter, Daily Newsletter and Breaking News Alerts. We'll deliver the news you need to know straight to your inbox.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Subscribe Now

    An Automotive News Canada subscription includes 12 monthly issues – delivered in print to your doorstep, and digitally to your inbox – plus unlimited, 24/7 access to our website.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Our Mission

    The Automotive News Canada mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in Canada.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Ave
    Detroit MI 48207

    1-877-812-1257

    Email Us

    ISSN 2475-5001 (print)
    ISSN 2475-501X (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • Advertise with Us
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Canada
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • News
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Ferrari
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • Stellantis
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Fiat Chrysler
          • Jeep
          • Fiat
          • Lancia
          • Maserati
          • Ram
        • Subaru
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
        • Volvo
        • VinFast
      • Auto Shows
        • Toronto Auto Show
      • Canadians Abroad
      • Photo Galleries
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • Retail
      • Dealer Best Practices
      • Government Relations
      • Trade and Tariffs
      • Technology
      • Labour
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • 2022 Auto News Canada All-Stars
      • 2022 Canadians To Watch
      • 2022 Diversity Champions
      • Best Dealerships To Work For
      • Canada Congress
      • Retail Forum: Dealer Discussions
      • Leading Women Roundtables
      • Embracing Diversity Roundtable
      • EVs Decoded
    • Jobs & Classifieds
    • +MORE
      • IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT
      • NEWSLETTERS
      • SUBSCRIBE
      • CLASSIFIEDS
      • PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
      • COMPANIES ON THE MOVE
      • WEBINARS
      • ADVERTISE WITH US
      • CONTACT US
      • DIGITAL EDITION
      • PUBLISHING PARTNERS