AddEnergie, a Canadian company that manufactures and operates electric vehicle charging stations, is getting $6.7 million from the federal government to help develop new charging technologies and install new chargers. The funds come from Natural Resources Canada, and the announcement was made yesterday by federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna.
The funds come as part of a $16.9 million investment that sees AddEnergie spending $7.3 million, a $748,000 contribution from the Quebec government, and the remainder coming from private investors. AddEnergie says that this funding will be used to develop a new generation of charging stations that can accommodate a greater variety of next generation electric vehicles with longer range and the ability to charge even faster. The company claims that the new chargers will help prevent over 880,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
The funds will also see more than 1,000 new charging stations installed across Canada by 2019. The new chargers will be part of AddEnergie's Flo charging network, which already has more than 1,000 charging stations throughout the country. The company's network allows users see what cars a charging station will support, and also tells drivers if the charging station is available or already being used. Flo provides at-home charging stations in addition to their public network.
Many of the new chargers will be installed curbside in five unnamed cities. This builds on a rollout of curbside chargers already installed in Montreal with the cooperation of Hydro Québec. They let owners charge their car in a normal curbside parking space, instead of having to find a lot or garage.
