Tesla has announced plans to make some of its Supercharger network in Canada accessible to other EV brands, in a significant move towards charging standardization. Starting later this year with a pilot route from Ottawa to Sudbury, Tesla will open up 750 stations by the end of 2025, including "at least" 350 high-speed 250kW Superchargers. This is crucial given the focus on enabling long-distance EV travel, notably along the extensive Trans-Canada Highway stretch between Ottawa and Calgary.
This initiative dovetails with Canada's commitment to making EV chargers widely accessible. In collaboration with multiple partners, the government aims to install nearly 3,000 EV chargers in multi-use residential buildings, offices, public spaces, and fleet locations. The majority of these (1,908) will be Level 2 chargers, complemented by 100 Level 3 chargers. Funding has been allocated to five ongoing projects aiming to install up to 1,328 EV chargers.
This news comes hot on the heels of Tesla's pledge to allow Ford EV drivers access to its 12,000 North American Superchargers from spring 2024. Also, Ford plans to switch to Tesla's open-source charging port standard for its 2025 model year cars. This move is in line with earlier initiatives to open Superchargers in the US and Europe, and could offer reassurance to potential non-Tesla EV owners concerned about inconsistent charging infrastructure.
Although Canada may not currently be a major EV hub like the US or China, it's certainly setting its sights on becoming an industry mainstay. Volkswagen is planning its first North American EV battery plant in southern Ontario, while a deal for a Stellantis EV battery plant, though uncertain, could have a significant impact. Given the country's existing car manufacturing base, Canada is poised to play a crucial role in the EV revolution – a necessity if it's to achieve its goal of banning combustion engine passenger car sales by 2035.
