CONCORD, Ontario, Aug. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EVSTART is charging 6,500 km across Canada – looking to educate Canadians about electric vehicles (EVs).
The EVSTART Charging Coast to Coast Tour is stopping off at more than 40 multi-residential buildings across the country, educating residents about Canada’s zero-emission targets, EV technology, and offering them an exciting EV ride experience.
“It’s such a great opportunity to engage people all across Canada,” said Craig Ballard, President and CEO, Elexicon Group. “It’s important we all play a part in driving the conversation and inspiring people to make the switch to EVs. Change takes effort and the reaction we are getting everywhere shows Canada is ready to make the transition to the EV future.”
“This is the first-ever tour designed specifically for multi-residential properties,” said Peter Mills, CEO, Wyse Meter Solutions. “We know that 80% of EV charging takes place at home. As our metro areas grow and increase in density, that will place incredible demand on – and provide countless opportunities for – multi-residential properties across the country to be part of an electric future. We’re excited to use this tour as our way of helping build out Canada’s charging infrastructure.”
The timing couldn’t be better for this tour, Mills continued, as EVs are already making a huge impact in Canada:
- In Q1 2022, EV registrations in Canada hit the highest number ever in a single quarter, 5.8%, a sizeable quarter-to-quarter increase from 4.2% in Q4 2021. (IHS Markit, 2022)
- Federal incentives of $5,000 are inspiring purchases of new EVs, especially when combined with provincial incentives. In Quebec, for example, the EV Provincial Rebate can reach $7,000. In BC, the rebate was recently raised to $4,000. In Nova Scotia, incentives can reach as high as $3,000. (Province of Quebec, Province of British Columbia, Province of Nova Scotia, 2022)
- The Government of Canada has dedicated $680 million to the installation of EV charging infrastructure in public spaces, workplaces, fleet vehicle support, and multi-unit residential buildings. Through its Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), the government will fund 50% of project costs up to a maximum based on charger output, from $5,000 for 19.2 kW (and under) chargers to $100,000 for 200-plus kW chargers. (Government of Canada, 2022)
- More than 150,000 Canadians and Canadian businesses have benefited from ZEVIP incentives. Those incentives have helped reduce up to 519,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year (or 6.2 million tonnes over the lifetime of these vehicles). This is equivalent to powering more than 1.4 million homes for one year. (Government of Canada, 2022)
- As gas prices rose throughout the year, EV ownership showed off its significant saving possibilities. An average Canadian who drives 15,200 km annually will spend more than $1,500 in gas, however, an EV owner would spend less than $300 for the same distance. (Driving.ca.)
The EVSTART Charging Coast to Coast Tour is also targeting building owners, educating them on how simple and cost-effective it can be to install EV chargers.
“We always encourage them to start with a utility-grade audit to get a baseline of the building’s current infrastructure and capacity,” Mills continued. “With the latest EV technology, owners can start installing chargers right away without exceeding their load capacity by using tools like load management. Once those first chargers are installed, then owners can tap into the data they generate to evaluate their building’s future needs and plan its future EV deployment.”
EVSTART is an electric vehicle (EV) charging company dedicated to helping real estate owners and developers address their EV charging infrastructure challenges. EVSTART is a partnership between Wyse Meter Solutions and Elexicon Group.
Visit chargingcoasttocoast.ca for more details.
For interviews or to visit a stop on the tour: Peter Mills, CEO, Wyse Meter Solutions, pmills@wysemeter.com.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/113be6c0-e1b4-47c5-a819-7e5ba1d2f0e8
