Mark Blinch / Reuters A Kia Soul EV is plugged into a charging station during the second press day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, January 13, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch (UNITED STATES - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS)

TORONTO — Ontario will spend $20 million to build nearly 500 electric vehicle charging stations across the province in 2017.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca says the government will work with 27 private and public sector partners to create a network of charging stations at over 250 different locations.

Del Duca says they will be set up along highways, in cities, and at workplaces, condominiums and some public places.

He hopes a network of charging stations will address the "range anxiety" some consumers have about the limits electric vehicles can travel compared with regular cars and trucks.