TORONTO — The Ontario government has issued a Request for Bids to build and operate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in 15 new underserved and remote areas across the province. Expanding the charging network will make it easier and more convenient for drivers to charge EVs outside of large urban centres, reducing range anxiety and supporting the electric vehicle manufacturing industry in Ontario.
“Ontario’s future is electric and our government is making it easier than ever to own and operate an EV in Ontario while attracting billions of dollars in investments and creating tens of thousands of well-paying jobs in the process,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “We’re increasing access to electric vehicle charging stations – particularly in rural and northern communities – so we can help more drivers go electric with confidence.”
The province is accepting applications to build and operate publicly accessible charging stations on government-owned property, including highway rest areas, carpool parking lots and tourist destinations such as Ontario Parks. More than a dozen sites across the province – the majority being in northern Ontario – have been identified for the initial procurement, with the first EV chargers expected to be ready for use in 2025.
Through the EV ChargeON program, the Ontario government is investing $91 million to make it easier to access EV chargers across the province and provide small, rural and Indigenous communities with the opportunity to switch to EVs. Currently, there are approximately 3,550 public EV charging stations with roughly 9,650 Level 2 and Level 3 (high-powered) EV charging ports in Ontario.