Boost for EV charging in Canada

Canada's electric vehicle industry is about to receive a major boost with the announcement of an agreement between eCAMION, based in Toronto, Dallas-based Leclanché North America, part of Switzerland's Leclanché and SGEM based in Geneva, to develop and install a network of 34 fast-charging stations along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH). The project, designed to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Canada, is being partially funded Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) under the Canadian Energy Inn
July 24, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
Canada's electric vehicle industry is about to receive a major boost with the announcement of an agreement between eCAMION, based in Toronto, Dallas-based Leclanché North America, part of Switzerland's Leclanché and SGEM based in Geneva, to develop and install a network of 34 fast-charging stations along the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH).


The project, designed to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in Canada, is being partially funded Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) under the Canadian Energy Innovation Program, with investment support from eCAMION, Leclanché and SGEM.

eCAMION and Leclanché have formed a Toronto-based joint venture, FAST Charge to manage the project and further expand the implementation of EV charging systems across North America.

Current EV charging systems make it difficult for drivers to travel long distances, contributing to 'range anxiety' and is one of the biggest obstacles globally to EV adoption.

The new system being developed by FAST Charge consists of an energy storage system, using large-format lithium-ion batteries, along with multiple-outlet charging units that can be charge several EVs at once.  This architecture helps overcome the slow charge issue by acting as a buffer between the grid and the vehicle and allowing EVs to be charged rapidly from the advanced lithium ion batteries instead of directly but more slowly from the grid. This will enable faster charging at Level 3 and higher, allowing EV drivers to charge their vehicles in just 20 minutes.

In addition, each charging station can be connected to a renewable energy source such as solar or wind to facilitate 100-percent emission-free driving.

Greater adoption of EVs for inter-urban travel will reduce the use of carbon-intensive fuels for transportation, which currently generates nearly a quarter of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. FAST Charge estimates that the installation of 102 charging units at 34 different locations will reduce emissions by an estimated 0.7 million tons over the first five years of operation.

The project is scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2019.

Related Content

  • Land of ITS opportunities
    February 6, 2012
    Geographically, Russia, the largest country in the world, is vast. So too are the opportunities for the global ITS community, which is why ITS Russia has been actively promoting the country and the opportunities that abound there
    Read More
  • New clean diesel cars and light trucks to ‘help US achieve greenhouse gas reductions’
    July 25, 2016
    Advances in emissions control technology in clean diesel passenger cars and light duty pickup trucks will have a positive effect on efforts to reduce future Greenhouse Gas Emissions, according to the federal government’s newly-released Draft Technical Assessment Report (TAR). The Draft TAR, which covers vehicle model years 2022-2025, confirms that automotive manufacturers are introducing new technology to market at a rapid pace, and predicts that the MY 2022-2025 standards are achievable with a wide ran
    Read More
  • Vehicle analytics market ‘to grow by 26 per cent by 2022’
    September 19, 2017
    A new market research report by MarketsandMarkets estimates that the market for vehicle analytics will grow from US$1124.1 million in 2017 to US$3637.4 million by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.5 per cent. According to the report, the major driving factor for this market remains advances in technologies, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive maintenance to enhance fleet management, as well as increasing use of real-time data collected from sensors and
    Read More
  • WiTricity and Furukawa to trial wireless EV charging system
    April 2, 2019
    WiTricity is to test an advanced wireless charging system prototype for electric vehicles (EVs) using materials and components developed by Japanese supplier Furukawa Electric. WiTricity says Furukawa offers copper wiring and thermal components which help otpimise the cost and performance of wireless charging, thereby increasing the adoption of wireless charging by carmakers and charging infrastructure providers. The partners will test WiTricity’s Drive 11 park and charge system, designed for intero
    Read More

Highlighted Content