Canada Commits to 8,000 New EV Chargers: North America's Charging Gap Is Closing | Taha Abbasi

Canada Doubles Down on Charging Infrastructure

Taha Abbasi has been emphasizing that charging infrastructure is the single biggest bottleneck to EV adoption, and Canada just made a major move to address it. The Canadian government has announced an $84 million investment to install 8,000 new EV chargers across the country, adding roughly 23% to the existing network of approximately 35,000 public chargers.

This announcement comes at a critical time. Canada has ambitious zero-emission vehicle mandates — requiring 100% of new passenger vehicle sales to be electric by 2035 — but the current charging infrastructure lags behind these targets. As Taha Abbasi notes, mandates without infrastructure are just aspirational documents.

The Numbers in Context

With approximately 35,000 existing public chargers and 8,000 new ones coming, Canada will approach 43,000 public charging points. For context:

• US: Approximately 186,000 public chargers (for ~4 million EVs)
• China: Over 2.7 million public chargers (leading globally)
• EU: Approximately 630,000 public chargers across member states

Canada’s ratio of chargers to EVs is actually among the better in North America, but vast geographic distances between cities make coverage — not just density — the critical metric. A charger every 50 km in urban areas isn’t helpful if there’s a 300 km gap in northern British Columbia.

Why This Matters for Cross-Border EV Travel

Taha Abbasi sees this through the lens of real-world EV ownership. Anyone who has driven a Cybertruck across long distances knows that charging availability transforms the experience. Canada’s investment benefits not just Canadian EV owners but also American EV drivers crossing the border for adventure and tourism — a market that’s growing rapidly.

The new chargers will complement Tesla’s Supercharger network (which now supports NACS-compatible charging) and third-party networks like ChargePoint and Electrify Canada.

The Economic Argument

At $84 million for 8,000 chargers, the average cost per charger is approximately $10,500. That’s remarkably cost-effective, likely focused on Level 2 chargers for workplaces, retail locations, and multi-unit residential buildings rather than expensive DC fast chargers. Taha Abbasi notes this approach makes strategic sense — most EV charging happens at home or work, so expanding Level 2 infrastructure addresses the most common use cases.

Lessons for the United States

Canada’s pragmatic approach offers lessons for the US, where the NEVI federal charging program has been plagued by bureaucratic delays and Buy America compliance challenges. Canada is deploying chargers faster and cheaper, partly because its procurement rules are less restrictive and partly because the program emphasizes results over process.

The Path Forward

8,000 new chargers won’t solve Canada’s infrastructure gap overnight, but it’s a meaningful step. Taha Abbasi believes the key is sustained annual investment over the next decade, not one-time announcements. If Canada maintains this pace — adding 8,000+ chargers per year — it will be well-positioned for the EV transition its policies demand.

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About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com