Wanted: A Single Plan for Zero Emission Vehicles

In its report released today, SuperCharge Roadmap: Paving the Way for Zero Emission Vehicles, the Board of Trade identifies four key areas where federal, provincial and municipal governments can more effectively coordinate with utilities and the private sector to:  

• Better support fleet transitions  
• Build the necessary charging infrastructure to support mass EV adoption  
• Increase our clean electricity generation capacity  
• Build the infrastructure needed to support hydrogen and renewable natural gas vehicles  

With Ontario recently securing record investments in EV manufacturing, ambitious new federal sales mandates for ZEVs and the Ontario government’s just-released Hydrogen Strategy, the Toronto Region is poised to become a global leader in ZEV adoption.  

As ZEVs start rolling off Ontario assembly lines in significant numbers in 2025/26, our Region needs improved coordination to have infrastructure in place to maximize our economic growth and emissions-reduction opportunities.  

“Addressing climate change is the urgent challenge of our time and embracing zero-emission vehicle infrastructure is part of the approaches embraced at each level of government,” said Jan De Silva, President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade. “Now we must seize on this rare consensus by pressing decision-makers to initiate the investments and coordination needed to get this done.”  

The Toronto Region is primed to demonstrate leadership in a green transition. Its abundant sources of clean electricity and a booming auto manufacturing sector that is already shifting to EV production, are just two examples of the Region’s potential in this area.  

“Investments in alternative fuel types will be critical if we’re to enhance low-carbon transportation options in our Region,” said Craig Ruttan, Policy Director, Energy, Environment and Land Use at the Toronto Region Board of Trade. “Incentivizing innovation in the hydrogen space can enable this, whether it be through a hydrogen transportation corridor along Highway 401, or through building a hydrogen hub in the Toronto area.”  

Climate action, and the green transition, are more than environmental and social issues – they’re critical economic issues. This belief has underpinned the Board of Trade’s ongoing work on the climate economy, including the recent formation of the Climate Economy Strategic Council co- chaired by Jan De Silva. The Council’s mandate is to establish a framework to position the Toronto Region and its businesses as climate champions.  

In summer 2021, the Board of Trade laid the foundation for its approach to energy transition issues through the release of its Principles for the Clean Transition brief. In addition, numerous Board of Trade transportation reports speak to the importance of an interconnected, low-carbon regional transportation system where accessible public transit and zero-emission personal vehicles are critical.  

To learn more, you can read the Board of Trade’s one-page SuperCharge Roadmap.  

Key Facts 

• Transportation currently produces 35 per cent of the Toronto Region’s emissions and 25 per cent of Canada’s emissions  
• The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act enshrines in legislation the Government of Canada’s commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and provides a framework of accountability and transparency for timely delivery  
• In 2019, the Ontario automotive sector contributed almost $14 billion to the province’s GDP  
• The Toronto Region has access to abundant sources of clean electricity, including nuclear and hydroelectric generation. In 2021, nuclear accounted for 83 per cent of Ontario’s electricity output, while hydro and gas/oil accounted for 34 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively