Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) 🇨🇦

Notice

The next round of ZEVIP is likely to focus on public places, on-street charging, multi-family buildings, and workplaces. Titled "ZEVIP 2021", this RFP is expected to be announced in February 2021. Learn more below or contact ChargeLab for product specs and other ZEVIP application support.

Contact ChargeLab

Who is ZEVIP for?

The Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) is a broad program aimed at making EV 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: 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: 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): any residential building with at least three (3) 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.

How does it work?

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.

What does it cover?

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 ZEVIP RFPs, NRCan contributions are conditionally repayable. If you profit from EV 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:

Disclaimer

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/energy-efficiency-transportation/zero-emission-vehicle-infrastructure-program/21876

Detailed ZEVIP breakdown

The section below gives a detailed breakdown for the specific RFPs issued in past, current, and planned ZEVIP rounds.

Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7Round 1Round 2Round 3

ZEVIP 2021

Coming soon

NRCan intends to release a ZEVIP RFP that we expect will be focused on public places, on-street charging, multi-family buildings, and workplaces in February 2021.

To get started on your ZEVIP 2021 application, contact ChargeLab today.

ZEVIP (strategic projects)

Coming soon

The first ZEVIP RFP for strategic projects is expected to be announced in March 2021.

Strategic projects includes electric vehicle infrastructure for corporate fleets, last-mile delivery fleets, and mass transit.

Contact ChargeLab today to begin preparing your strategic project.

ZEVIP (third-party delivery agents)

Planned

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.

If you are an eligible Delivery Organization interested in applying for ZEVIP later this year, contact us now.

ZEVIP 2022

Planned

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.

ZEVIP 2021 is still accepting applications for the same use-cases, so we suggest applying to that RFP first.

ZEVIP round 1: Public Places and On-Street

Archive

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.

Public Parking Lots Now Eligible For Up To $5 Million In Rebates For Electric Vehicle Chargers Through ZEVIP

TORONTO, July 19, 2019 — Natural Resources Canada recently introduced the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), a $130 million program...

ZEVIP round 2: MURBs, Workplaces, and Light-Duty Fleets

Archive

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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ChargeLab Offers $0 Electric Vehicle Chargers For Multi-Family Buildings & Workplaces Through ZEVIP

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...

ZEVIP round 3: Third-party delivery agents

Archive

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.