By Staff
June 12th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
In place and ready for the summer traffic. Come October the public should learn just how often these charging stations were used and are there enough of them in place.
Electric Vehicles (EV) fast chargers have been installed at all 20 renovated ONroute stations along the province’s busiest highways, the 400 and 401.
The new fast charging stations are part of the roll-out announced in December 2021 by the Ontario government, Ivy Charging Network, ONroute, Canadian Tire and Natural Resources Canada. All stations are now equipped with at least two EV chargers at each site, with busier areas equipped with more. The chargers are available to all drivers on a pay-per-use basis and serve all vehicle types.
As the EV population grows, more chargers may be added at each site. These critical infrastructure builds will further encourage the electrification of the transportation sector in Ontario by making EV charging more accessible and utilize the province’s world-class clean electricity supply by shifting away from gas-powered vehicles.
One of the 20 ONroute stations located on the 401 1nd 400 highways
The government also launched a new Ultra-Low Overnight electricity price plan which will support EV adoption and reduce emissions. The new electricity pricing structure is a third option for electricity customers, in addition to the existing Time-of-Use (TOU) and Tiered plans. Customers who use more electricity at night, including shift workers and those who electrically heat their home or charge their electric vehicle, could save up to $90 per year by shifting demand to the ultra-low overnight rate period when province-wide electricity demand is lower.
Quick Facts
• As of May 2023, there are more than 118,000 EVs registered in Ontario, including both battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). By 2030, there are expected to be more than one million EVs on the road in Ontario.
• Three additional rest stops in Maple, Ingersoll and Newcastle will undergo planned renovations between 2023-2025 and will have EV fast chargers installed at that time.
• The Ivy Charging Network, a joint venture between Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation (OPG), is responsible for the installation, ownership, and operation of the fast chargers.
• Ivy’s fast chargers charge 40 cents a minute to charge an electric vehicle. With a fast charger most drivers can get a 150 km range of charge for as little as $7, depending on their vehicle.
