Electric Autonomy

Attention, EV enthusiasts! Plug'n Drive, the not-for-profit organization accelerating electric vehicle adoption in Canada, is looking for EV Ambassadors. EV Ambassadors' primary tasks & responsibilities include: • speaking to members of the public about the environmental and economic benefits of electric transportation • helping consumers understand the different EV models, charging and charging infrastructure • accompanying members of the public on EV test drives and answering any questions • speaking to the unique qualities and capabilities of different EV models For more information and to apply, check out the ad on our JOBS IN MOTION board: https://lnkd.in/gnAxUKPP JOBS IN MOTION, brought to you in partnership with Electric Mobility Canada, is the national career portal connecting talent to jobs in the electric vehicle industry, clean transportation and advanced mobility technology. #jobs #ElectricVehicles #Canada

NEW: Electric fleets can’t wait: reforms to help grid match pace of change — Fleet electrification has a power problem. A new report from Dunsky explores regulatory reforms needed to scale fleet decarbonization. ⚡ ⚡ ⚡ As more fleets across Canada and the U.S. electrify, securing sufficient power to support depot charging is increasingly difficult. Electricity demand rises quickly when electrifying medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) and a recent NACFE survey found utility coordination and upgrade lead times are major barriers to fleet electrification. Fleet operators often lack visibility into what to expect. As a result, most fleets are scaling (electric vehicle) EV deployments according to the power available on site. This approach, however, cannot be sustained long-term as it will not allow fleets to electrify at scale, nor at the pace that is otherwise economically optimal (let alone what is required to reach national decarbonization targets). Yet, solutions exist to ensure timely and affordable service upgrades for MHDV fleets. Proactive grid planning, fair cost-sharing, and smarter energy rates are key to accelerating MHDV electrification. With supportive policy and regulatory alignment, these steps can drive meaningful emissions reductions and deliver public benefits without burdening ratepayers. Proactive grid investments To reduce or eliminate lead times, utilities must shift how they approach load forecasting and grid upgrade efforts by proactively investing in areas where MHDV electrification is expected to occur. Currently, most utilities plan grid upgrades using load forecasts that haven’t historically accounted for MHDV electrification. Unlike light-duty EVs, MHDV loads are large and highly localized — one fleet can trigger major upgrades. The complexity of supplying additional electricity to a MHDV depot site depends on the proximity and capacity of nearby distribution infrastructure. If local feeders and substations can handle the load, upgrades may be minor, but if they can’t, costly and time-consuming work — like new feeders or substation upgrades — may be required. Yet utilities often lack visibility into where fleets exist or are electrifying and rarely forecast at the feeder level, where these impacts are felt. As a result, critical infrastructure to support MHDV electrification is often overlooked and forces reactive service upgrades, which are slow and costly, rather than benefiting from proactive planning and investment. While it’s challenging to anticipate exactly where these loads will materialize, there are steps utilities can take to deepen their understanding, like customer surveys, geospatial analyses, or assigning key account managers who conduct proactive outreach. Read the full op-ed by Maddy Ewing, Senior Consultant at Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors: https://lnkd.in/etGTdi_W #ElectricVehicles #EVFleets #ElectricGrid

Join us for "Commercial charging by the numbers: The key trends and tech shaping how MHDV fleets charge today and through 2030", presented by Ash Wang, EV Charging Analyst at BloombergNEF, on May 15 at the EV & Charging Expo 2025. BloombergNEF is widely recognized for its deep sector intelligence, particularly through flagship reports like its annual Electric Vehicle Outlook. Leveraging data from the latest electrification research, Wang will map out how commercial EV charging is scaling across North America, highlighting the biggest players and their deployment plans towards 2030, from fleet operators and utilities to truck makers, developers and logistics companies. She will break down emerging models like shared depot charging, megawatt systems, vehicle-to-building integration and clean energy co-location, along with where capital is flowing and which companies are capturing the biggest public and private investments. And she will offer key insights into charging behavior, combining industry load curve studies with BloombergNEF’s proprietary data to reveal how real-world fleet schedules align with infrastructure demands. Designed for fleets, logistics providers, utilities and infrastructure developers, this presentation will deliver a data-backed understanding of the EV charging strategies emerging for North America’s freight and logistics sectors. It's one of many valuable sessions you can look forward to at the #EVChargingExpo2025. For more information and to secure your Expo Pass, go to: evandchargingexpo.com #ElectricVehicles #EVCharging #EVFleets #MHDV

NEW: Hypercharge to supply EV chargers to Vancouver development — City’s massive 3,000-residence Oakridge Park real estate project will include 500 Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations. ⚡ ⚡ ⚡ Oakridge Park, located in the City of Vancouver, has added 500 Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to its 28-acre mixed-use project. Featuring residential, retail, office, and community spaces, the site will accommodate 3,000 residences and more than 700,000 square feet of office space. The project is being co-developed with QuadReal Property Group and Westbank Corp. Hypercharge Networks Corp, a supplier of EV chargers to both public and private sectors across North America, announced delivery of the chargers this month. The project will include 300 wall-mounted, single port Level 2 chargers, and 200 overhead single port Level 2 chargers designed as space saving solution for Oakridge Park’s high-density valet parking facilities. The overhead chargers are a unique set-up that can serve multiple parking stalls for charging vehicles without requiring dedicated stall placement. “The project demands a smart, space-saving charging setup that maximizes efficiency while maintaining seamless accessibility. To solve this, Hypercharge’s mix of overhead and wall-mounted stations optimizes every inch of available space,” said David Bibby, President and CEO of Hypercharge, in a release. “Space-efficient EV charging solution” Working in partnership with Precise ParkLink, which will manage the development’s 6,000-space parking lot operations, Hypercharge’s software will incorporate into Oakridge Park’s building management platform for real-time monitoring and smart management of the charging network. “Oakridge Park is committed to being a dynamic urban hub where sustainability and innovation meet convenience,” said Chrystal Burns, executive vice president of Canadian retail at QuadReal. “By partnering with Hypercharge, we are ensuring that Oakridge Park is equipped with an innovative, space-efficient EV charging solution that meets the evolving needs of our residents, tenants, and visitors.” Read the full story by Victoria Foote: https://lnkd.in/ewzD9YeY #ElectricVehicles #EVCharging #MURBs

NEW: Cold weather performance facts on EV range — Canadians are concerned about EV range in cold weather. CAA did a real-world test with a dozen vehicles. Here’s what they learned. ⚡ ⚡ ⚡ Despite widespread adoption of electric vehicles in northern climates — for example, in Norway where nearly all new cars sold in 2024 were electric and sub-zero temperatures are the norm — concerns about range and charging during the cold season stubbornly persists among Canadians. While Ressources naturelles Canada (RNCan) does publish estimated EV ranges, they are based on year-round numbers. In a survey conducted by The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), cold weather “anxiety” is frequently cited as a contributor to EV adopter hesitation in Canada. (Drivers also cited charge times and access to public charging stations as underpinning their hesitancy to get behind the wheel of an EV in winter.) To address the lack of information on how EVs perform in cold conditions, CAA clubs from across the country decided to put electric cars to the cold-weather test last February. Testing EVs in the cold “If we are to rely on EVs going forward and understand what lifestyle changes we need to make to drive them,” says Julie Beun, managing director of communications and public relations at CAA North & East Ontario, in CAA Magazine. “We also need to understand what the range actually is in the winter and how fast they’re going to charge.” CAA members drove a dozen different EV models until the battery ran completely out of power under temperatures that varied between -7 and -15 degrees Celsius. Across the board, the test cars managed 14 to 39 per cent fewer kilometres than their official, all-weather range. As for how frigid conditions impact charging speed, each vehicle plugged into a DC fast-charger for a 15-minute session. On average, the EVs tested gained 28 per cent of battery charge. Read the full story by Victoria Foote: https://lnkd.in/gNwV5XeJ #ElectricVehicles #EVCharging #ColdWeather

On May 15, at the EV & Charging Expo 2025 in Toronto, we'll get answers to the question "What's the real cost of going electric?" Expo attendees will have seen the new Hyundai Kona EV, Ford E-Transit, and Chevrolet Equinox EV on the show floor. But what are the real-world expenses – and savings – of owning or leasing and operating these electric vehicles? The experts at 7Gen have been making EV adoption simple and affordable for fleets for over five years. Join us for this presentation by David Wilkins, MBA, Fleet Electrification Sales Manager, as he walks us through what to expect when it comes to charging costs and maintenance, as well as other considerations when going electric. He'll also share updated information on what EV incentives are available, which vehicles are eligible and where, and other financial considerations that can make EVs more affordable. Independent drivers, owner/operators and fleet managers will walk away knowing exactly how EVs stack up for the bottom line. It's is just one of many valuable session that you can look forward to at the #EVChargingExpo2025. For more information and to secure your Expo Pass, go to evandchargingexpo.com #ElectricVehicles #EVFleets #electrification

Ernst & Young is projecting the economic outlook for zero-emission vehicle industry in Canada in a new report published earlier this month. Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), a national industry association based in Quebec, commissioned the report, titled Electrifying progress: A complete economic outlook of the Canadian EV industry, to analyze how a transition to electrification would impact economic activity and employment in Canada. According to Daniel Breton, EMC’s president and CEO, “The Electrifying progress report highlights the importance of transportation electrification as a growth sector in the Canadian economy. “Electric mobility is positioned to be a leading industry in terms of new jobs and economic growth in all regions of Canada.” In short, the impact — even in the most conservative scenarios — will be felt across multiple sectors, including transportation, energy, mining and manufacturing. Growth will be “significant.” Impact at a glance For the medium term, the report projects that by 2035, e-mobility will account for 47 per cent of the transportation sector’s GDP — a nearly threefold jump from an anticipated 17 per cent contribution in 2026. (EMC defines “e-mobility” as all electric vehicles, including passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles, pickup trucks, medium and heavy-duty trucks, vans and buses.) The report’s least optimistic growth predictions estimate e-mobility will account for 39 per cent of the transportations sector’s GDP share and 37 per cent of mobility job share. That is in comparison with the report’s most ebullient projections that the e-mobility share for GDP and jobs could rocket to 97 per cent and 89 per cent, respectively. “EMC is optimistic about the economic potential of the electric mobility sector in Canada” says Breton. “In these uncertain times, Canada has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of well-paid, sustainable jobs, many of which cannot be relocated.” Read the full story by Emma Jarratt: https://lnkd.in/gc_mptit #ElectricVehicles #policy #Canada

DYK? The EV & Charging Expo 2025 is bullfrogpowered® with 100% green electricity. This means that Bullfrog Power’s generators put 100% green electricity onto the grid to match the amount of conventional electricity the event uses, displacing energy from polluting sources. For more information on Bullfrog’s green energy, visit bullfrogpower.com. #EVChargingExpo2025 #Toronto

What are some lessons we can learn from global fleet electrification? Join us on May 14 at the EV & Charging Expo 2025 in Toronto for this presentation by Zingha Lucien, Director, Strategic Consulting at Element Fleet Management. Drawing on data from electrified fleets worldwide, we'll discover insights from markets where electrification already has a cost advantage. Through real-world case studies of successful light-duty deployments, we'll learn about the policies, technologies, and market conditions driving rapid adoption abroad. And we'll get some practical guidance on how North American fleets can close the gap — from strategic vehicle sourcing to effective change management. If your fleet is looking to reduce costs, lower emissions and remain competitive, this presentation will provide a clear roadmap as well as concrete recommendations for ensuring lasting EV adoption. It's one of many valuable sessions you can look forward to at the #EVChargingExpo2025. For more information and to secure your Expo Pass, go to evandchargingexpo.com #ElectricVehicles #electrification #EVFleets

If you're in Toronto on Wednesday, April 23, please join us from 4-7pm at the Plug'n Drive EV Discovery Centre for an exclusive event hosted by Plug'n Drive, Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) and the Ontario Energy Network. We'll start by diving into the world of electric vehicles, with an opportunity to test-drive the latest EV models. Then we'll network over wine & cheese, and engage in a compelling CEO panel discussion featuring: • Cara Clairman, President & CEO at Plug'n Drive • Daniel Breton, President & CEO at Electric Mobility Canada • Joanna Osawe, President & CEO at Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) • David C. Adams, President & CEO at Global Automakers of Canada Ticket numbers are limited, so secure your spot now. We hope you can join us! For more information and to register, go to: https://lnkd.in/g5fmUfmZ #ElectricVehicles #EVs #Toronto