192 electric vehicle charging stations installed by Peel partnership since 2020

June 20, 2024 · 0 Comments

Three 50-kilowatt DC Fast Chargers are open for public use in Caledon

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Peel and partnering groups have taken major steps toward electrification.

On June 13, the Region of Peel announced the Peel Climate Change Partnership was celebrating the successful installation of 192 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.

The Peel Climate Change Partnership consists of the Region of Peel, City of Brampton, City of Mississauga, Town of Caledon, Credit Valley Conservation, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Peel Public Health and the Centre for Community Energy Transformation.

Secretariat support for the partnership is provided by the Peel’s Office of Climate Change and Energy Management.

The partnership was able to install 192 electric vehicle chargers thanks to funding from the Government of Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP).

In a news release from Region of Peel Communications Specialist Genevieve Ricciardella, it was explained that in 2019, the partnership came together to meet the 20-charging station minimum set by the government. No one partner had the resources to install 20 chargers, but collectively they did.

By March 2022, 43 EV chargers were installed. Since the collaboration was a success, the partnership continued and by March 2024, 192 EV charging stations were installed across 37 partner properties in support of fleet and public vehicle electrification.

Caledon residents can benefit from the partnership’s installation of EV chargers, as three 50-kilowatt DC Fast Chargers installed through the partnership are open for public use in Caledon.

Government funding in the amount of $1.177 million enabled the chargers to be installed.

According to the news release, driving an EV in Ontario can reduce one’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 per cent when compared to a gasoline-fuelled vehicle. The release added that by the end of the first quarter of this year, there were more than 19,000 battery and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered in Peel — an increase of 50 per cent from the year prior.

Several government officials provided comments in the news release.

Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said investing in more EV chargers will “put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a net-zero future and help achieve our climate goals.”

Davinder Valeri, Peel’s Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Corporate Services, said the EV charger milestone makes Peel a Canadian climate leader.

“Supporting our residents as they transition towards EVs is just one of the ways we’re taking action on the climate file as we build a community for life,” said Valeri.

Christine Tu, Director of Peel’s Office of Climate Change and Emergency Management, stressed the importance of collaboration.

“Peel Region is proud to partner with the federal government, our local municipalities and conservation authorities to advance greening our fleets and enable members of our community to consider an EV as their next vehicle,” said Tu. “Working together is essential to address the climate emergency, and enabling the deployment of more chargers will be critical in the coming years to ensure equitable access to EVs for all vehicle drivers.”

The Region of Peel shared that residents can search for charging stations in their area on the websites ChargeHub and PlugShare.