As Canadian drivers warm up to EVs, electric driving is crossing over into the mainstream. In B.C. and Quebec, one in five new cars sold are now electric. And according to Statistics Canada, zero-emission vehicles held a 10.8% market share in Canada in 2023 (up from 8.9% in 2022). That’s more than 184,500 units.
While EV uptake has moved beyond the early adopters, concerns around public charging reliability continue to give many North Americans pause. According to J.D. Power’s latest survey, Canadians who aren’t currently considering purchasing EVs say that range anxiety (63%) and a lack of charging station availability (55%) are factors holding them back.
For everyday driving, EVs are largely charged from the comfort and convenience of the owner’s home. At-home recharging accounts for 80% of charge time for personal EVs, according to the government of Quebec. It’s around the remaining 20% that Canadians get nervous. That includes drivers who are unable to install EV chargers at home, such as those who live in condos or apartments or who rely on street parking, plus trips that exceed the distance covered by a vehicle’s full range (like, say, a drive from Toronto to Montreal). For these scenarios, EV charging relies on public infrastructure.
We analyzed existing public charging infrastructure in eight Canadian cities to see how closely these concerns are met with reality.
The state of EV chargers in Canada
Reliable information on charging stations is still hard to come by.
We started our search with publicly available data from Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Charging and Alternative Fuelling Stations Locator. However, we quickly found discrepancies between NRCan’s data and that published by resources such as PlugShare, Google Maps and individual charging networks. In instances where NRCan’s data is incomplete or unclear, we supplemented it as much as possible using data from these other sources. The average EV driver cannot do this depth of research when seeking charging stations on the road, which is bound to result in frustrating and negative experiences. Early adopters have persisted through this issue for years, but better solutions are needed as electric driving goes mainstream.
Infrastructure needs are about to change rapidly.
The lines between Tesla’s charging protocol – now referred to as the North American Charging Standard (NACS) – and other port types are blurring. While owners of Teslas and other EVs were formerly limited to their native port types, adapters are now available that allow drivers to use more charging stations. Plus, many auto brands have announced their intent to switch from the “combined charging system” (CCS) – currently the non-Tesla fast-charging standard – to NACS beginning in 2025, including Volkswagen, Hyundai, General Motors, Subaru, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo/Polestar, Rivian and others. Staying ahead of this incoming shift in demand while continuing to meet the needs of owners buying today could be a delicate process to navigate.
About this data
Chargers: Counted within each city and any contiguous suburbs as noted. Data to calculate EV chargers per 100,000 people is based on 2021 census data from Statistics Canada for the same geographic areas. Note that the number of ports is higher than the number of chargers; many direct current (DC) fast-charging stations have multiple port types available, but only one can be used per station at a time.
Charger use type was separated into three categories:
Tourist: Likely to be used by visitors or drivers transiting through the city. Includes fast chargers at gas stations, rest stops or retail areas near highways, as well as hotels and key tourist destinations.
Local: Best located for use by residents. Includes multi-unit dwellings, office buildings, shopping centres away from major highways, libraries or municipal buildings, schools, hospitals, airports, community centres and transit stations.
Business: Includes fleet garages, industrial areas and car dealerships. Stations tend to have restricted hours and prioritize owner use over the general public.
Stephanie Wallcraft is an automotive journalist based in Toronto and a past president of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.
This story is part of the Sustainable Cities section in our Spring 2024 issue.
