1. Where are the geographic…

1. Where are the geographic areas in Ontario where there are gaps in public EV charging infrastructure?

In southern regions of southwestern Ontario. While southwestern Ontario is the most populous area in the province, there is very little EV charging infrastructure. This would include municipalities located along Lake Erie. A lot of these areas' economies are based off of tourism - and EV users will not be able to necessarily visit these places as there's no infrastructure to charge EV's.

For instance, the closest ONRoute (and charging station) to the southern-most point of one of these municipalities is ~70.8km.

In addition, Highway 3 is a provincial highway which many may take alternatively to the United States (to cross into Buffalo). Being able to stop along the highway would ease the worry ("range anxiety") for EV users that wish to travel via EV.

It's also important to note that Tesla has rolled out their own charging infrastructure in many Ontario rural communities - however, their chargers can't be necessarily used for any vehicle other than a Tesla (adapter required if you have an EV from another manufacturer). Tesla's come with adapters so virtually any charging infrastructure can be used. This may be something to consider for other automakers.

2. In what kinds of situations are public EV chargers most useful (e.g., type of trip, length of trip, type of charging location)?

New home construction should consider adapting "EV ready" principles. Most charging can be done over night at home, which would get most individuals where they need to be in a day and back home. When travelling a long distance, a Level 3 will almost always be the most convenient option. Individuals can plan a quick bite to eat on their journey and get a decent charge without waiting too long.

At places such as municipal sports facilities (arenas, etc.), trails/parks and carpool lots - a Level 2 charger should be able to suffice and get the user a decent amount of charge (and it's a bit more user friendly in terms of cost per hour or per kW to charge). Most individuals may spend approximately 1-2 hours at these facilities, which is why a Level 2 charger would be able to provide enough of a charge for said users.

It's also important to consider that the location of the charger is important too. Through case studies, majority of individuals that use EV charging stations were travelling/visiting an area, and were not local. For those that may need a charge - it would be convenient to place them along main highways and towns which people travel on/through (even in rural settings - i.e., Highway 3).

3. What are the challenges with increasing public EV charging in Ontario and how could the government help address those challenges?

1) Promotion and Education around EVs (debunking myths, etc.). Not only education for residents but also for different levels of government. For instance, an entity may be successful in receiving funding - but elected officials may choose to not move forward with said project as they do not necessarily know much about EVs and the benefits to having charging stations in local areas. Staff can provide information, but the more tools the better for implementation (Perhaps even a short webinar for different groups).

In addition, the benefits of plug-in hybrids could also be promoted - this could also assist in the interim for those taking long trips until more charging infrastructure has been constructed.

It's also important to outline the new jobs that can be created through EV adoption (construction and maintenance of EVs and charging infrastructure, manufacturing of EVs and charging infrastructure, etc.)

2) Our electric grid needs to be prepared and continuously improved. Whether this be more renewable energy resources with battery back-up/storage technology, or other resources. While there isn't currently a huge shift to EVs at the moment, we need to ensure that there will be the capacity on the grid should there be larger adoption, as anticipated. Battery back-up and storage technology could also supply energy at municipal facilities and supply power to charging stations, reducing operating costs and financial burden on taxpayers, and potentially allowing for lower cost for use for those utilizing the charging infrastructure.

3) Continued investment in research and development. EVs have become more reliable over the years - we've seen increased ranges on vehicles and with more R&D this number could keep increasing.

4) Extraction of the materials (should be done in the most efficient and sustainable way possible), ensured supply for Ontario automakers.

5) Home owners needing to install additional services to their homes. This may be a costly burden on individuals, as prices to install a new service (i.e., additional 100AMP service) vary.

6) No incentives. While many automakers are planning on releasing EV models - the current available models are not affordable to many individuals and families. While costs may continue to decrease as the markets grow - there is still no support to incentivize a switch to EVs.

ADDITIONAL:
Beyond municipalities, provinces and the federal government implementing and encouraging EV use via funding for charging stations, private companies should also be considered. Level 2 charging stations would work at movie theaters, restaurants, golf courses, gyms, grocery stores etc. The City of Vancouver recently implemented a by-law which states a baseline number for the minimum number of charging stations required at apartments, and other locations (i.e., if the parking lot has ___ number of spaces, it must have ___ number of EV charging stations).

Retrofitting gas stations with charging stations simply will not suffice (even if they are Level 3). People won't mind waiting for a charge if they are spending time elsewhere- at a gas station there's nowhere to go and spend time, sit and have a coffee or bite to eat, etc. This approach will be inconvenient and not promote EV adoption as many will not want to sit and wait in their vehicle.