Electric vehicle numbers have 'exploded' but too few charging stations in Ontario, experts say

As the 2023 Canadian International Auto Show makesits return to Torontofor the first time since 2020, industry expertssay growing demand for electric vehicles is putting pressure on Ontarioto expand its charging infrastructure.

"We have to keep up with the EV sales [and] we have to keep up with the infrastructure," said Kevin Lisso, CEO and co-founder ofEnerSavings, a Toronto-based green energy company thataims to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsby working with commercial, industrial and residential businesses.

Lisso said Ontario is lagging behind other provinces like British Columbiaand Quebec in EV sales and charging infrastructure.

"[We] do not have a provincial rebate and I don't know why," he said."We've been told it's coming and it's coming and it's coming, but we haven't seen it yet."

Jason Campbell, the auto show's general manager, saidthis year looks a lot different than previous years.

"We've seen a huge change in the industry. Most of them are planning a full electric future," Campbell said.

"The industry's really exploded in terms of every manufacturer that's on the floor either has a product here on the floor that's fully electric or is in development."

Campbell said the show has roughly 10 times the number of electric cars featured this year in comparison to 2020.

But when it comes to infrastructure, he saidOntario in its current state is "not what it needs to be."

Lisso said while there is great demand for EVs in Canada, as more people continue to purchase them and as supply increases, charging stations in places like condos and malls won't be able to keep up.

His company's Energy Management System aims to tackle this. The system is an intelligent subscription plan which installs EV charger infrastructure for people in multi-residential buildings and adapts to increasing demand.

"You go into a condo right now, maybe out of 200 people, 10 people are looking for a charger," Lisso said.

"But you have to think about the next 10 that are coming in six months and the next 10 the next six months. So you've got to build an infrastructure."

As of last year, up tofive per cent of all vehicles in Canadaare either fully electric or hybrid, and that percentageis expected to climb in the coming years. By 2035, the federal government insists thatall new vehicles in Canada will be electric.

Magna International, an auto manufacturing company, announced Wednesday it wouldbe putting more than $470 million into expanding its Ontario operations,includingan electric vehicle batteryfacility, which will be housed in Brampton, Ont. The company says it's expected to begin operations later this year.

The provincial government is also granting Magna$23.6 million in funding through Invest Ontario.

Vic Fedeli, Ontario's minister for economic development, job creation and trade,saidthe Ford governmentwill help Ontario create an end-to-end electric vehicle supply chain.

An analysis on Quebec and British Columbia's mandates released in December by the Canadian Climate Institute found that the mandates helped both provinces move well ahead of the rest of the country on electric vehicle use.

B.C. is leading the field in EVsales, which account for almost 15 per cent of all new vehicles registered between January and June 2022. Quebec is in second, at 11.4 per centand Ontario is in third at5.5 per cent.

On Feb. 3, the federal government announced an investment of nearly $15 million in 2,100 EV charging stations across the Greater Toronto Area.

The funding, which will be provided through Canada's Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstration Program,was provided to 32 organizations, including municipalities, multi-resident buildings, private firms and utilities.

According to the federal government, more than 150,000 Canadians and Canadian businesses have taken advantage of the federal incentive to purchase a zero-emission vehicle to date.

The investment aims to helpensureall new passenger vehicles sold in the country are zero-emission by 2035.

"By investing in critical charging infrastructure, we're helping families save money at the pump while combating climate change," said federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, who is also the MP for Toronto's Eglinton-Lawrence riding, in a statement.

"Our government will support the building of new EV charging stations where Torontonians need them most, including in my riding."