Installing enough fast charging stations to meet cabinet’s electric car mandate will cost about $20 billion, says the Department of Natural Resources. Cabinet, since 2016, spent $3.3 billion on rebates and subsidies to promote electric cars, by official estimate..“In the very long term our overall estimate for public charging infrastructure needs across Canada would represent a total investment of approximately $20 billion over the next three decades,” said a department report..“However, while this analysis quantifies the total infrastructure needed to meet Canada’s electric vehicle adoption targets, this study does not assess what portion of this infrastructure would require support from the federal government.”.Cabinet mandated electric vehicles account for 100% of all new car sales by 2035. Meeting the target would require the installation of at least 442,000 public charging stations, said the report..“Infrastructure along highway corridors is essential to ensure connectivity,” said the report. “The long distance between populated areas in Canada means many of these corridors do not serve high volumes.”.Winter temperatures were also a costly problem, wrote consultants. “As temperatures move towards the cold or hot extremes there are negative impacts on vehicle and battery efficiency resulting in greater charging needs,” said the report..The research is the first known federal attempt to quantify related costs of meeting the electric car mandate. It follows in-house polling by the Department of Natural Resources that found most Canadians are uninterested in electrics..“Only five percent of Canadians say they currently own or lease a vehicle that runs on electricity,” said an April 15 report Canadians’ Awareness, Knowledge And Attitudes Related To Zero Emission Vehicles. “The vast majority, 95%, do not.”.“Half of respondents are unsure whether repair and maintenance costs for a zero-emission vehicle are lower than for a gas or diesel-powered vehicle — 46% said they do not know — or whether zero emission vehicles have the same towing ability as conventional vehicles (five percent),” said Canadians’ Awareness..“Many Canadians, 47%, would only buy a zero-emission vehicle if the price were about the same as an equivalent vehicle,” wrote researchers..Most Canadians, 66%, said they had never ridden in an electric car. A total of 15% said, “I have no interest.”.Federal data show most electrics driven in Canada are sold in Vancouver, Toronto and Montréal. Outside the largest cities few electrics were registered, according to a July 21 Statistics Canada report New Motor Vehicle Registrations.
