In support of the Government of Canada’s commitment to sustainable development, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has allocated funding for organizations that support the integrated management of natural resources and the use of alternative energy sources. Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Demonstrations (EVID) is one such program which will contribute between $1 million and $5 million to projects that demonstrate “next-generation and innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure”1 . Following the program’s implementation on April 1st, 2018, NRCan will distribute a total of $30 million over the next four years in support of these projects. This program falls under NRCan’s Energy Innovation Program (EIP) which focuses on the provision of funding to projects that support a lower-carbon Canadian economy.2
To date, six demonstrations have been selected to receive funding through EVID, three of which have their roots in British Columbia. The first is a project led by BC Hydro which will target electric vehicle uptake in Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs) and large commercial and municipal buildings through the demonstration of a high voltage utility connected Level 2 EV charger. The project partners include SMPC Technologies Inc., a BC-based company involved in consulting, design and manufacturing of power electronic products, including chargers and charging stations for EVs and electric motorbikes.
The second demonstration, led by the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), aims to provide solutions to eliminate barriers to electric vehicle adoption in urban areas. As part of this project, BCIT will lead the development and demonstration of charging station interoperability software, leveraging of existing outdoor lighting infrastructure for electric vehicle charging use, and management of MURB electrical capacities through an app user interface.
Lastly, Vancouver-based TransLink received demonstration funding to promote infrastructure for electric public transportation. The company will install overhead charging stations to power four electric-battery powered buses and demonstrate their operation by providing service to select roads in Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster.
For more information about EVID and the six grant recipients, please visit the Natural Resources Canada website at https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/science/programs-funding/20467
1 https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/science/programs-funding/20467
2 http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/funding/icg/18876