Test drives for Teslas — in Edmonton. On the taxpayer dime.Those are just a few of the things Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson will be footing the bill for under a $7.5 million ‘EV awareness’ campaign.On Thursday, Natural Resources Canada announced a program to increase “awareness, knowledge, confidence and adoption of ZEVs (zero emission vehicles), lower-carbon trucks, and clean fuels through outreach, education, and capacity-building activities.”In addition to free test drives in Edmonton, first time EV drivers in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and e-bike safety courses across British Columbia..The ultimate aim of the program is to increase uptake of ZEV ownership among first time buyers."As Canadians use more e-bikes, e-buses, EVs, and chargers, the Government of Canada is investing in information and opportunities that will put Canadians in the driver's seat on the road to a strong, healthy net-zero future for all our communities," Wilkinson said in a statement.In an accompanying brief, NRCan said phasing in 100% new electric vehicle sales by 2035 is projected to reduce over 360 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, avoiding almost $100 billion in global damages.More than 300,000 drivers have taken the government up on its $5,000 rebates which works out to about $1.5 billion. In addition, the government has allocated another $1billion to install more than 4,000 public fast chargers.Road transportation presently accounts for about 18% of Canada’s total emissions, NRCan said.
