There are a number of…

There are a number of barriers to EV charging Infrastructure in Northwestern Ontario. The geographic area in this region is vast with large areas that are not serviced, there are frigid winters reaching temperatures of -40 to -45 degrees, and the infrastructure, especially in rural areas, is often in need of repairs or replacement. There is a huge gap in public EV charging infrastructure in Northwestern Ontario. There are plans to increase EV infrastructure in larger cities including Thunder Bay. However, there is a great need for infrastructure in all rural municipalities and along Highway 11/17 to accommodate EV charging stations. It would appropriate to have EV infrastructure at rest stop locations. However, significant investments will be required to make them viable for year-round use and for all types of vehicles. Furthermore, additional rest stops will be required throughout the region along major routes as there are some stretches of highway that do not currently have rest stops (for example the Rainy River region). The rest stop areas that currently exist in the region are often underserviced, they are not maintained in the winter, and many are small and could not accommodate a large number of vehicles or transport trucks. It would be challenging to expand some rest stop locations due to their design, especially to accommodate large transport trucks or motorhomes. Other EV locations will include gas stations or local businesses but the time it will take to charge will most certainly be more significant than the time it takes to fill a gas tank. In this region many of these locations will be small but will face a high demand due to the high traffic of truck drivers and tourists. Space will likely become an issue and expansion may be necessary in some key locations. There could be a potential benefit to local businesses as people shop, eat or explore to pass the longer wait time to charge their vehicles. However, there could also be unintended consequences of local business not being able to handle the demand due to space, staffing issues, etc.

Tourism is a huge economic driver in this region and EV infrastructure would be needed to ensure tourism isn't disrupted in key locations that attract hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and camping tourism. The locations where the EV stations would be needed may not have electric output capacity and infrastructure may be needed to accommodate the increased energy demand and draw. It is approximately 1000km to travel across Northwestern Ontario by vehicle. There will be a high demand for EV infrastructure for both commercial and leisure travel and fast charging capabilities will be essential, while also ensuring the speed is consistent in the winter months. Many municipalities in this region, especially rural, will not be able to the afford the investments require to implement and maintain the required EV infrastructure. Funding and incentives from the government will be required in order for municipalities to accomplish this.

Another factor to consider is that there is a large volume of transport trucks that cross through this region on the way to their destination, which is most cases is not within Northwestern Ontario. These trucks will require efficient infrastructure throughout their 1000km journey. The responsibility should not fall only on the local municipalities to create and maintain the necessary EV infrastructure when trucking companies will be a primary user in many locations, unless the municipality will realize a significant economic gain from these companies utilizing their infrastructure.