The Government of Canada is investing $280 million to help deploy EV chargers where Canadians live, work, and play.
There is currently a ZEVIP Request for Proposals (RFP) open targeting EV infrastructure projects for public places, on-street charging, multi-family buildings, workplaces, and light-duty fleets. The submission deadline for the current RFP is June 22, 2021. Learn more below or contact ChargeLab for product specs and other ZEVIP application support.
Contact ChargeLabThe Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) is a broad program aimed at making EVÂ charging more accessible for Canadians coast to coast. The initiative is administered by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and is planned to run until 2024. The program offers up to a 50% financial contribution to help deploy EV chargers in the following use cases:
Public Places:Â including but not limited to service stations, retail, restaurants, arenas, libraries, medical offices, park and ride, etc.
On-Street: EV charging deployed by local governments along public streets.
Workplaces: any location where employees perform duties related to their job.
Light, Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Fleets:Â including fleets of taxis, car rentals, municipal vehicles, car sharing, last-mile delivery trucks, school buses, refuse trucks, public utility vehicles, etc.
Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs):Â any residential building with at least three (3)Â dwelling units.
To learn more about how ChargeLab works in any of the scenarios above, visit our use cases page.
The most important nuance of ZEVIP is that it is a multi-phase, RFP-based program. While the overall program addresses many use cases, specific RFPs will address different use-cases at different times. If your business is seeking funding to deploy workplace EV chargers and you apply to the fleet RFP, your application will be rejected—and vice versa.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the past, current, and planned future rounds of ZEVIP:
*Third-party delivery RFPs will focus on eligible Delivery Organizations to distribute a component of the ZEVIP funding to Ultimate Recipients to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects in public places, on-street, in multi-unit residential buildings, at workplaces or for light-duty vehicle fleets.
Overall, ZEVIP helps a variety of stakeholders deploy EV chargers where Canadians live, work, and play. The notable use case that ZEVIP does not cover is intercity travel along national highways. If you are looking for financial assistance to deploy DC fast chargers along a major Canadian highway, please check our guide to the Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Initiative (EVAFIDI). EVAFIDI is a separate program also administered by NRCan aimed at establishing a coast-to-coast network of fast-charging stations along the national highway system.
Natural Resources Canada releases an Applicants Guide at the start of each ZEVIP round. Organizations have until the submission deadline to put together a detailed project proposal. After a review period, NRCan will send notices of funding decisions to app applicants.
Successful applicants will receive a Letter of Conditional Approval and shortly afterwards sign a Contribution Agreement with NRCan. Each round of ZEVIP has different requirements for minimum and maximum project size, deployment timeline, and supported use cases. View our full breakdown of current and upcoming ZEVIP rounds below.
For accepted ZEVIP projects, NRCan contributes 50% of Total Project Costs up to a maximum per-charger amount. Eligible costs include site design, project management, EV chargers, installation costs, licenses/permits, and other direct deployment costs.
For most ZEVIPÂ RFPs, NRCan contributions are conditionally repayable. If you profit from EVÂ chargers funded by the program, you must repay NRCan's contribution on a pro-rata basis.
The maximum funding per type of EV charger is as follows:
ZEVIP is a competitive program administered by NRCan. ChargeLab is not a delivery agent of NRCan and has no influence over the ZEVIP selection process.
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For the most comprehensive information on ZEVIP, check the official webpage: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/transportation-alternative-fuels/zero-emission-vehicle-infrastructure-program/21876
The section below gives a detailed breakdown for the specific RFPs issued in past, current, and planned ZEVIP rounds.
ZEVIP "All Streams 2021"Â was launched on March 21, 2021 and is accepting proposal submissions until June 22, 2021. This RFP is the broadest of all ZEVIP streams, accepting projects for public places, on-street charging, multi-family buildings, workplaces, and light-duty fleets.
Visit NRCan's website to request the Application Package for this round of ZEVIP.
To learn more about using ChargeLab products and services as part of your ZEVIP project, use the form at the bottom of this page to contact us.
The first ZEVIP RFP for strategic projects is expected to be announced in April 2021.
Strategic projects includes electric vehicle infrastructure for corporate fleets, last-mile delivery fleets, and mass transit.
The second ZEVIP RFP for third-party delivery organizations is planned to be announced in August 2021. Eligible Delivery Organizations are local governments or not-for-profit organizations that will distribute ZEVIP funding to "Ultimate Recipients". Ultimate Recipients must install EV chargers in public places, on-street, in multi-family buildings, workplaces, or for light-duty vehicle fleets.
NRCan intends to release a broad ZEVIP RFP in 2022. We expect ZEVIP 2022 to once again focus on public places, on-street charging, multi-family buildings, and workplaces.
ZEVIPÂ 2021 is still accepting applications for the same use-cases, so we suggest applying to that RFP first.
The first ZEVIP RFP launched in June 2019 and targeted public places and on-street charging. The maximum funding amount for this round was $5 million.
In total, NRCan awarded funding for 1,340 Level 2 chargers and 46 DCFCs. The total NRCan contributions allocated were worth $12,820,991. You can see a list of successful applicants on NRCan's website.
Click the card below to see ChargeLab's press release promoting ZEVIP round 1.
TORONTO, July 19, 2019 — Natural Resources Canada recently introduced the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), a $130 million program...
The second ZEVIP RFP launched in February 2020 and targeted multi-family buildings, workplaces, and light-duty fleets. The maximum funding amount for this round was $5 million.
ChargeLab launched our innovative Zero Down program along with this round of ZEVIP, offering $0 upfront EV charger installs for eligible multi-family and office buildings.
NRCan has not yet publicly announced the results of ZEVIP round 2, though applicants have been informed of rejection or conditional acceptance. Click the card below to see ChargeLab's original press release promoting this round of ZEVIP.
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TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2020 — ChargeLab, Canada's leading EV charging software provider, today announced it is offering eligible multi-family and office buildings EV charger installations...
The third ZEVIP RFP launched in September 2020 and aimed to fund third-party Delivery Organizations with up to $2 million. Eligible Delivery Organizations are local governments or not-for-profit organizations that will distribute ZEVIP funding to "Ultimate Recipients". Ultimate Recipients must install EV chargers in public places, on-street, in multi-family buildings, workplaces, or for light-duty vehicle fleets.
Delivery Organizations will have independence in the selection of Ultimate Recipients with minimal guidance from NRCan. They may also receive a rebate for the overhead of their delivery project up to 15% of the NRCan project contribution.
NRCan has not yet publicly announced the results of ZEVIP round 3.