eVentures:
NW Alberta EV Charging Network

Past Initiative

Collaborating to build charging infrastructure in rural areas to fills gaps in Canada’s EV charging network

THIS PROJECT WAS SUPPORTED BY THE LAB'S IMPACT STUDIO

Overview

Greenhouse gas emissions from Canada's transportation sector are responsible for roughly 22% of national emissions. To address this, enabling the switch from gas-powered vehicles to electric-powered ones is a key strategy. However charging infrastructure to meet the needs of an anticipated 21 million electric vehicles in 2040 will require a significant growth in publicly available charging infrastructure, especially in rural areas and along transportation corridors where it's currently lacking.

Rural communities in northwest Alberta face a patchwork of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, resulting in missed opportunities for efficient grid management and cost-effective development. The eVentures NW Alberta Charging Network initiative changed that by coordinating local efforts through collaboration agreements and a shared network map, accelerating the creation of a connected regional EV charging network.

Why It Matters

17

According to the ZEV Council Dashboard, Alberta has about 17 EVs for every public charging port.

+48%

In 2024, battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 48% year-over-year, rising to 488,612 BEVs on Canadian roads.

679,000

According to NRCan projections, Canada will need 679K public charging ports by 2040. As of early 2025, there are only ~33,800 public charging ports in operation across Canada.

The Challenge

A majority of Albertans now believe in the need for an energy transition in Canada, however stories shared about it through political rhetoric and echoed in media continue to be starkly polarizing, often negative and demotivating.

Energy transition isn’t simply a technological feat. The challenge ahead is multi-faceted, impacting each and every one of us in unique ways. It’s also a conversation, a matter of culture and an opportunity for people from across disciplines to develop a shared vision for our energy future and engage with it via both technical and non-technical mediums.

Our Approach

The Energy Futures Lab played a key role by convening and facilitating interactive workshops with rural municipalities, in partnership with the Community Energy Association, federal and provincial governments, and Energy Futures Lab Fellow Megan Lohmann.

This initiative successfully brought together eight local governments and municipal districts to jointly advance the charging network, complete a regional network map, and prepare capital funding proposals.