Canada has made a new investment in a cross-country electric vehicle (EV) charging network.

Bill Casey, member of parliament for Cumberland–Colchester, on behalf of the Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, announced a C$4.6 million investment for Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, for building 92 EV fast chargers in its coast-to-coast network.

The first completed station, located in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, will be part of a larger network of more than 50 Petro-Canada locations, each with two charging units on-site.

This is part of the government of Canada’s C$182.5 million investment to build a coast-to-coast charging network for EVs and support other zero- and low-carbon demonstration and deployment projects. Over 500 fast chargers are built or planned this year, with hundreds more expected over the next two years. Through budget 2019, a further C$130 million is being invested in charging infrastructure, and a new incentive, worth up to C$5,000, is available for Canadians who purchase or lease a zero-emission vehicle.

“Our government is making historic investments in green infrastructure, helping us to move from traditional fuels to cleaner choices that will power our future while lowering costs for families,” says Casey. “With more electric vehicles on our roads, we will reduce pollution and create strong and sustainable communities.”

“Keeping Canadians moving is what we do,” adds Deborah Gullaher, Suncor’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We know that our customers’ needs are changing, and with more than 1,800 retail and wholesale locations across the country, we have the network in place to address some of the challenges being faced by electric vehicle drivers. By combining the elements from our top-tier national network with the fastest technology available, we will be able to meet the needs of our customers today and into the future.”