LIFE AFTER EVCO: The Future of Ontario's EV Landscape

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The transportation sector is Ontario’s biggest single source of greenhouse gas, representing 34% of all emissions. To meet its GHG reduction targets, the Province needs to jump-start the transition to electrified transportation. The Ontario government’s $20-million investment in public charging infrastructure, under the Electric Vehicle Chargers Ontario (EVCO) grant program, coupled with its Electric Vehicle Incentive Program, will be key to this strategy.

On May 20, Plug’n Drive and Partners in Project Green hosted “Life After EVCO,” an industry roundtable on the future of Ontario’s electric vehicle landscape. The event brought together stakeholders from across the transportation spectrum: government officials, auto makers, charging station manufacturers, academics, NGOs, EV drivers and more. Highlights of the half-day program included informative breakout sessions on electric vehicle education, future program development and the role of electric vehicles in economic growth.

You’ll find below videos of the presentations and roundtable discussion summary.

EV Innovation and Integration
Presented  by Josipa Petrunic, Executive Director & CEO, Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC)

 

PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Challenges in creating jobs in innovation and manufacturing.
  • The 4 steps to innovation:
    • Research
    • Development
    • Demonstration
    • Commercialization
  • The three vertices of zero-emission EVs.
  • Modelling effective incentives for EV technology.
  • Existing incentives for R&D in Ontario.
  • Recommendations to government:
    • Build on existing clusters by supporting industry-led collaborative innovation consortia.
    • Avoid locating an EV “innovation centre” at a specific university; universities should join innovation consortia as partners in innovation, not as the framework for innovation.
  • Recommendations to LDCs:
    • Collect EV data – map it and share it.
    • Invest quickly in innovation and deployment.
    • Innovation needed for charging management to mitigate grid stress.
    • Coordinate EV public policy across ministries.
    • Increased EV consumer outreach.

 

Building and Electrical Code Barriers to EVSE Infrastructure
Presented  by Peter Glowacki, Project Manager, Energy, Electric Generation and Distribution, CSA Group

 

PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS:

  • In January 2016, CSA Group held an EV workshop, consulting the North American EV industry in an effort to identify barriers in codes and standards relating to the ·         Canadian Electrical Code and the National Building Code of Canada.

BARRIERS IDENTIFIED:

  • Inconsistencies and gaps in existing codes and standards.
    • Need to address load management.
    • Need to regulate electrical codes in parking lots, not building.
    • Provincial by-laws don’t regulate EV charging.
    • Recommendation: Create a EVSE Regulatory Roadmap, assemble a guiding committee of industry experts, process of continuous identification of gaps.
  • Amending codes and standards is a lengthy process.
    • Key element is that all codes need to align.
    • EVSE Task Force created, assign a Project Leader to every task to tackle code amendments.
  • Code changes must include a cost-benefit analysis.
    • Implications beyond cost-benefit analysis.
    • Collaboration with NRC is critical.
  • Pre-wiring or installations for new construction in MURBs.
    • There is no standard set for how much electrical capacity is the right amount
    • Require appropriate electrical outlets.
    • Potentially could change code to require conduit to be installed in new builds.
  • Stand-alone parking lots do not currently fall within scope of NBCC.
    • Municipal by-laws are currently responsible – need to engage Provincial government.
    • Can move on parking structures right away.
  • CE Code does not permit a branch circuit for EVSE to support other loads.
    • De-rating factors to allow for load sharing on branches.
    • Load management system innovation needed.
  • New standards are required.
    • Load management is key.
    • Battery repurposing and disposal.
    • DC fast charging.
    • Wireless charging.

 

Breakout Sessions Summary: Gathering Stakeholder Input and Recommendations

 

PRESENTATION HIGHLIGHTS:

Group 1: EV Engagement and Education

  • Education for dealership sales staff through the OMVIC dealers training program.
  • Incentivize workplace charging to educate employees and raise awareness.
  • Province should lead by example by purchasing fleet vehicles for province and decaling vehicles to communicate this initiative.
  • Subsidies to increase television/film educational programming that educate on EVs.
  • Curriculum exposure for youth.

Group 2: Future Program Development

  • All levels of government involved an synergized in setting standards and coordinating incentives.
  • Getting university and college decision makers to understand why curriculum needs to change.
  • To ensure Ontario will be competitive in the future EV market, government (Provincial, Federal, NDEI and ISED) should be encouraged to invest in manufacturing landscape building on Climate Action Mandate.
  • Synergistic approach to the Energy-Transport-Manufacturing-Infrastructure nexus in a science/knowledge-based way.

Group 3: The Role of EVs in Economic Growth (AV)

  • Create a demand management program to take advantage of EVs as distributed resource.
  • Provision of public charging in public spaces/municipal spaces.
  • Tailor future EVCO program maximize environmental benefit to money spent.
  • Multi-residential new construction should be mandated for separate meter, incentivizing.