The city of Toronto, Ontario, is partnering with the government of Canada to add more than 500 new electric vehicle chargers to the city’s corporate charging network.
This $10 million joint investment means Toronto will benefit from 486 new Level 2 chargers, which offer higher-rate charging; and 40 new fast chargers, which are at least four times faster than Level 2 chargers, for the city’s fleet of EVs by the end of 2025. The new infrastructure will also enable the upcoming expansion of Toronto’s workplace charging program as well as plans to make some chargers available for public use in the future as the city’s net-zero strategy progresses.
Investments like this are a critical step in making the city’s transportation systems more sustainable. Zero-emission vehicle infrastructure like this will support the commitment to making Toronto a greener, cleaner city — and that’s one of the reasons why the city is incorporating them into its fleet and making it easier to access charging stations.
The investment includes $5 million from the city and more than $4.9 million from Natural Resources Canada, and this is the fourth EV infrastructure project in Toronto to receive federal funding. The $10 million will support Toronto’s plan to transition 20% of city-owned fleets to zero-emissions vehicles by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
Toronto expects to have 850 charging ports available at more than 100 city locations by 2025. As of the end of 2023, about 900 of the nearly 10,000 city fleet vehicles were zero-emission. Approximately 46% of city vehicles are employing emission reduction technologies or alternative fuels.
“Toronto is an environmental leader,” says Olivia Chow, the city’s mayor. “Torontonians are proud of the progress we are making to make the city clean, green and sustainable. This type of partnership with the federal government will speed up our ambitious plans to make our city’s fleet net-zero.”
“We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more available where Canadians live, work and play,” adds Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “Investing in more EV projects, including over 500 that we announced today in Toronto, will put Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a strong, healthy net-zero future.”