Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can an applicant submit a project proposal under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program?

A complete application package (proposal) will be submitted through the Transportation and Fuels Decarbonization Programs portal and will consist of:

• A completed online application form;
• Supporting documentation; and
• An attestation dated and signed by a duly authorized officer.

To submit an application, please visit the ZEVIP website, under the funding opportunity for owners/operators of ZEV infrastructure, select the "How to Apply" tab then the "Apply Now" button. You will then be directed to the Transportation and Fuels Decarbonization Programs portal. The first step is to create your GCKey (you only need to do this once) and it will become your secure access to the platform. Please follow the system prompts and instructions.

*Note: there is only one user granted access to manage a singular application.

Applicants are required to submit a single copy of the application package by 23:59 Eastern Daylight Time, September 19, 2024.

2. How can I access a copy of the Applicant’s Guide for the Request for Project Proposals under Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program?

The Applicant’s Guide can be accessed via the Transportation and Fuels Decarbonization Programs portal or by completing the form available on the program’s website.

3. What is the difference between the Public EV Charging and the Private EV Charging streams?

The Public EV Charging stream targets electric vehicle infrastructure projects in transportation corridors and/or communities. Once public EV fast chargers are in operation, the Applicant will be required to publish their EV charger service standards and quarterly uptime information of each fast charger on a public platform for a minimum of six months after.

The Private EV Charging stream targets electric vehicle infrastructure projects for private use for existing buildings such as multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces, and where on-road vehicle fleets are serviced. Existing buildings means that they are occupied for their intended use and the occupancy permit was issued by May 2024. EV charging projects in new buildings are not eligible for funding.

The Request for Proposals targeting public and private EV charging is open until September 19, 2024 (23:59 Eastern Daylight Time). Applicants should familiarize themselves with the specific requirements for each stream.

4. Can applicants submit one single application for both the Public EV Charging and the Private EV Charging streams?

Applicants considering installing public and private electric vehicle charging infrastructure will need to submit separate applications for each stream. Applications will need to meet all the requirements for the respective stream it is submitted to.

5. What information will be required to disclose for service standards and uptime of public fast chargers?

The information that will be required to disclose is:

1. Number of ports at each station location;
2. Minutes of availability at each station for a given quarter of the year;
3. Minutes of outage (when hardware, software or both are unavailable for use);
4. Minutes of charging below 25 kW;
5. Minutes excluded (when ports are unavailable for a time period due to causes beyond the control of the operator such as, electricity outages, internet or cellular interruptions, vandalism, and vehicle limitations);
6. Actual uptime of the station expressed as a in percentage.
7. Information related to procedures and practices that ensure quality and reliability in customer service.

6. Is electric vehicle charging infrastructure for off-road vehicles eligible under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program?

Eligible projects under this Request for Proposals are limited to on-road electric vehicle charging infrastructure. ZEVIP supports the installation of public electric vehicle chargers in transportation corridors or communities, and private charging infrastructure at existing buildings such as workplaces, multi-unit residential buildings or where vehicle fleets are serviced.

7. Are advance payments or retroactive payments allowed under ZEVIP?

NRCan does not have the authority to issue advance payments or reimburse expenditures before the signing of a contribution agreement.

Proponents will be required to submit quarterly payment claims and progress reports to NRCan summarizing project progress and expenses incurred in order to be reimbursed for eligible expenditures. Eligible expenditures need to be submitted in accordance to the contribution agreement and during the eligible expenditure period.

8. Can ZEVIP funding be stacked with other financial incentives?

It is possible to combine other sources of government funding, for example, a provincial or municipal incentive.

NRCan’s contribution to the project is limited to the reimbursement of 50% of the total project cost to a maximum per technology or 75% of total project cost to a maximum per technology for Indigenous entities as stated in the Applicant’s Guide (section 1.4).

Total funding from all levels of government (e.g. federal, provincial/territorial or municipal) cannot exceed 75% of the total project costs, unless the proponent is an Indigenous business or community, a not-for-profit entity, a provincial, territorial or municipal government or their departments or agencies in which case the maximum governments funding limit is 100% of total project costs.

9. Are there any requirement on usage fees under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program for EV chargers?

There are no requirements for the business model or usage fee in ZEVIP.

We recognize that there are no standards for billing options and that they can vary from a network to another. The most common billing options are:

• A time-based fee
• A fee based on the amount of energy dispensed
• A flat fee

Charging rates are determined by several factors, including for example the cost of electricity for the station owner/operator at the time of charging, and are not determined by the federal government or federal funding programs.

10. Can projects be started before the signature of the contribution agreement?

Yes, however, until both parties sign a contribution agreement, there is no commitment or obligation on the part of NRCan to make a financial contribution to any project, including any expenditure incurred or paid prior to the signing of such a contribution agreement.

Expenditures incurred prior to the Letter of Conditional Approval cannot count towards the Total Project Cost and cannot be reimbursed.

Expenditures incurred between the date of the Letter of Conditional Approval and the date that Canada signs a contribution agreement count towards total project costs; however, they cannot be reimbursed.

11. Will there be other request for proposals in the future?

The program current funding envelop ends on March 31, 2027. This Request for Proposals may be the last one under the current authority.

12. Where the Public EV Charging Applicant’s Guide indicates “priority may be given to successful corridor charging projects under the public infrastructure stream where an application has more than 50% of the stations planned for areas that are scored with a priority ranking of 5”, is “stations” referring to the number of site locations or the number of chargers?

In this case, the Program is referring to “stations” as the number of chargers within a single proposal. Note that a project proposal can include multiple locations.