Ontario Making Electric Vehicle Chargers More Accessible

July 15, 2024

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.

Quick Facts

• The following northern rest areas have been identified for charging stations: Argon Park Rest Area, Batchawana Tourist Information Centre, Marten River Rest Area, Ontario/Manitoba Border Rest Area, Ryland Rest Area, Klotz Lake Rest Area, Terrace Bay Rest Area and the Watershed Truck Rest Area.
• The following carpool lots have been identified for charging stations: Dwyer Hill Carpool Lot (East), Orangeville Carpool Lot (West) and Port Union Carpool Lot (Central).
• The following provincial parks have been identified for charging stations: Algonquin Provincial Park (North) – including EV chargers at both the Visitors’ Centre and Portage Store, Pinery Provincial Park (West) and Sibbald Point Provincial Park (Central).
• The successful bidder will design and install the charging infrastructure and be responsible for its operation and maintenance for five years, with the possibility of two additional one-year extensions.
• The Request for Bids is available through the Ontario Tenders Portal (OTP), the electronic tendering system used by the Ontario government. Interested bidders have until August 13, 2024, to submit applications.
• The EV ChargeON program consists of two streams: the Community Sites Stream and the Government Sites Stream. Applications for the EV ChargeON Community Sites Stream closed in January 2024 and are currently under review.

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