Federal departments spent millions installing electric vehicle charging stations across government properties, but usage data shows many of the chargers are rarely used, with some sitting idle and others averaging fewer than one vehicle per day.Blacklock's Reporter says records tabled in the House of Commons show Natural Resources Canada could not provide a full breakdown of total spending per charger by location, despite overseeing a large portion of the rollout.The disclosure came in response to a parliamentary inquiry from Conservative MP Dan Albas, who requested data on daily usage rates for chargers located on federal lands, including Parliament Hill and sites operated by agencies such as Parks Canada.Figures provided by departments show wide variation in usage, with only a handful of locations seeing steady traffic. A Parks Canada charger at Prince Edward Island National Park recorded the highest use at about 15 vehicles per day, while Environment Canada reported roughly 12 daily users at its Burlington, Ont. office and about six per day at sites in North Vancouver, Delta and Saint Joachim, Que.Elsewhere, usage dropped sharply. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario reported an average of three vehicles per day at its Sudbury station and just one in Thunder Bay. Several other departments reported no usage at all..The low uptake comes as Natural Resources Canada allocated $680 million beginning in 2023 to subsidize the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, including commercial fast chargers. A total of 38,500 chargers have been supported to date, with subsidies ranging from $7,500 to $150,000 per unit, though departments did not disclose how frequently those chargers are used.Internal federal documents have previously raised concerns about the practicality of electric vehicles within government fleets. A 2021 briefing note from Natural Resources Canada concluded that current technology does not meet many operational requirements.“While an accelerated plan to shift entirely to green energy net zero emissions is appealing, it is not realistic at this time for the majority of the fleet,” the memo stated, citing limited driving range, insufficient charging infrastructure and gaps in repair networks as ongoing challenges.The same document also noted that vehicle size requirements and safety considerations further complicate adoption for certain departmental uses.Despite those concerns, the federal government has continued to expand charging infrastructure, even as internal data suggests many stations remain underused and questions persist about the overall value for taxpayers.
