In an effort to make it easier for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EVs) in the Northwest Territories and across the country, on Thursday, as part of #EVWeek, Michael V. McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories, announced a CA$414,000 investment in the Government of the Northwest Territories to help support the installation of up to 72 EV chargers across the Northwest Territories powered by renewable hydroelectricity.
As per a press release, it is a major investment that will make EV charging more accessible to everyone. It is funded through Natural Resources Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP).
The Government of the Northwest Territories invested CA$56,000 in the project. This project will see EV chargers in public areas, multi-unit residential structures, on the streets, and at workplaces or facilities for servicing light-duty vehicle fleets by March 2024.
Since 2015, Canada has invested a record CA$1 billion to make EVs more affordable and chargers accessible for Canadians.
These investments are another step towards achieving Canada’s goal of ensuring that all new passenger vehicles manufactured in Canada will be zero-emission in 2035.
“This funding is a major step forward as we increase the number of EV chargers available in the Northwest Territories (NWT). Investment in EV charging infrastructure will make buying an EV more viable for Northerners, and the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is excited to partner with the Government of Canada on this initiative. Investments in installing EV charging infrastructure in NWT, especially in communities that operate on hydropower, support the GNWT’s 2030 Energy Strategy and will aid the North in taking action against climate change,” said Diane Archie, Minister of Infrastructure, Government of the Northwest Territories.