What Do Owners & Operators Need to Know About Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program? 

Canada is accelerating the shift to cleaner transportation through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), administered by Natural Resources Canada. This funding stream supports the deployment of public electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure—helping eliminate one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption: access to reliable charging.

If you own or operate charging infrastructure—or plan to—here’s what you need to know about the current funding opportunity.

What Is ZEVIP?

Launched in 2019, the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) is part of Canada’s broader climate and clean transportation strategy. Its goal is simple: increase the availability of EV charging and hydrogen refuelling stations where Canadians live, work, travel, and play.

The current pilot Call for Proposals focuses specifically on transportation corridor public EV fast charging in high-priority areas.

Application deadline: March 20, 2026

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants include legally incorporated entities in Canada or abroad, such as:

• • Electric utilities

• • Private companies

• • Industry associations

• • Indigenous businesses (registered under the Indigenous Business Directory)

• • Provincial, territorial, regional, or municipal governments

Not Eligible:

• • Individuals

• • Federal public administration departments or Crown corporations

• • Softwood lumber companies and vertically integrated affiliates

Important: The applicant must own and operate the infrastructure and incur project costs directly.

What Projects Qualify?

To be eligible, projects must:

• • Install at least one 100 kW public EV fast charger

• • Include additional chargers bringing the total site output to at least 150 kW

• • Be located within 5 km of a designated road segment on the federal EV Charging Planning Map

• • Be in high-priority zones ranked “4” or “5”

• • Provide 24/7 public access

All chargers must:

• • Be permanently installed (hard-wired, not leased)

• • Be new equipment (not replacements)

• • Be certified for use in Canada (e.g., CSA, UL)

• • Be networked

• • Include approved connector types such as CCS (SAE J1772 Combo), NACS (SAE J3400), or J1772 (Level 2 when co-located)

How Much Funding Is Available?

Under this intake:

• • Up to $2 million per project

• • Funding covers up to 50% of total eligible project costs

• • Indigenous businesses and communities may receive up to 75%

• • Each applicant may submit up to two proposals

Funding is subject to Parliamentary approval and program availability.

Eligible Expenses

Covered costs include:

• • Salaries and benefits

• • Engineering, construction, and installation

• • Equipment and capital expenses

• • Travel and logistics

• • Environmental assessments

• • Permits and licensing

• • Marketing and data collection

• • Overhead (up to 15%)

Not Covered:

• • Land purchases

• • Legal fees

• • In-kind contributions

• • Electricity and ongoing operating costs

• • Costs incurred before project approval

Application Timeline

• • CFP Open: November 25, 2025

• • CFP Close: March 20, 2026

• • Funding decisions: Within 100 calendar days

• • Contribution agreement issued: Within 30 business days of approval

• • Project completion: Within 30 months

Applications must be submitted through the Transportation and Fuels Decarbonisation Programs portal and include:

• • Completed online form

• • Supporting documentation

• • Signed attestation

Incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Why This Matters

Canada has already invested over $1 billion in EV affordability and infrastructure expansion. With additional commitments from the federal government and financing from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the country aims to deploy:

• • 84,500 EV chargers

• • 45 hydrogen stations by 2029

This corridor-focused pilot strengthens long-distance EV travel and fills charging gaps in high-priority regions—supporting national climate targets and accelerating EV adoption.

Ready to Secure Your Funding?

Contact us today to secure your ZEVIP funding. We provide a seamless, simple, and fully turnkey solution—handling everything from funding strategy and application support to infrastructure delivery and deployment—so you can focus on growing your charging network with confidence.