The electric vehicle charging program is tied to $587 million to renew the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). The program was due to expire next year. If approved by the Canadian Parliament, the renewed funding will be spread over five years starting in 2027. Another $45 million over five years will go toward research and development of charging infrastructure, while $2.2 million will support the federal government’s transition to zero-emission vehicles. Combined, the investments total $634.2 million.
The ZEVIP is a fund for public electric vehicle charging developments, covering up to 50 percent of project expenses, or 75 percent of Indigenous-led projects, with limits of up to $2 million per project. If approved by Parliament, the renewed funding is expected to support more than 55,000 additional chargers in what the budget calls “areas where infrastructure is most needed.”
Travis Allan, president and CEO of the Canadian Freight Infrastructure Council (CCIC), told a Canadian publication Electrical autonomy“We will look to make sure we have great programs to address the barriers that people living in condos and apartments face, public fast charging, which should cover major corridors and metropolitan areas, and then also charging for fleets and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which account for a significant portion of transportation emissions.”
Funding for electric vehicle charging research and development is earmarked for Natural Resources Canada, which would receive the $45 million over five years, also starting in 2027-28. “We’re interested to see how those funds will be spent because we have a lot of great companies that are working and innovating in the charging ecosystem,” Allan said.
At the same time, the Canadian government is planning major improvements to the power grid. Among the most important elements is an investment of almost $4 billion over 10 years, starting in 2027-28, for the expansion of electrical infrastructure, renewable energy and priority grid projects. This includes new funding for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program.
In this case, Natural Resources Canada would also receive $26.4 million over 10 years for data and models to guide network planning. The budget also allocates $1.6 billion over 10 years to modernize electrical systems in remote and northern communities.
Daniel Breton, president and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, said the funding is encouraging and highlighted ZEVIP’s five-year window, which he said can make planning and acquiring funding easier. He also spoke positively of the planned network improvements. “It’s one thing to install chargers,” he said. “We have to get the electricity to the chargers.”
At the same time, Breton expressed disappointment that the new federal budget has not provided additional funding for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, electric vehicle education or battery recycling. Canada’s Medium and Heavy Duty Zero Emission Vehicle (iMHZEV) incentive program has already ended on March 15, 2026, with no federal replacement as of yet.
electricautonomy.ca, driveteslacanada.ca, budget.canada.ca
