While enthusiasm for electric vehicles (EVs) appears to be waning, use of Ottawa’s public charging stations has been surging since they opened in 2022.
According to City of Ottawa data, the number of times people used one of the charging stations rose from 56 in February 2022 to 1,360 in June 2024, the most recent month for which there is data.
The busiest charging station is at 118 Cartier St., which jumped from 555 charges in 2022 to 1,240 charges in 2023. As of the end of June 2024, this location had seen 751 charges.
Raymond Leury, president of the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO), said it would make sense for higher public charging to be seen in Ottawa’s urban areas.
“In high-density areas, people are more likely to live in apartments or condos without private charging,” Leury noted. “That’s why downtown chargers are used the most.”
Currently, the city owns 18 of the more than 200 public charging stations in Ottawa. The stations have a few charging ports each and are usually either Level 2 or Level 3. According to the city, “Level 2 chargers can provide 35 to 45 km per hour of charging.” Level 3 or fast charging charges vehicles faster, but is also the most expensive to use and install.
The city plans to expand access to electric charging as outlined in the federal Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), which aims to support 84,500 public chargers and 45 hydrogen stations by 2029.
Despite the public effort, Leury believes it shouldn’t be the city’s responsibility to invest in public charging stations. He said it should be a private sector responsibility.
“The city will never have enough funding to be able to provide the charging that we require,” he said, adding it could contribute through amending bylaws and offering consultation.
Leury also maintains that the city needs faster charging. He said most public options are at a Level 2 charging.
“The fleet is increasing, and there are visitors, for example, that come to Ottawa and they need to charge somewhere and they’re likely to use fast charging. So we need to be able to serve those people.”
The share of registered zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) rose steadily from 2020 to mid-2024 but dropped sharply in 2025. This followed the federal pause on rebates and a review of its EV sales mandate.
Statistics Canada has found that EVs accounted for 13.7 per cent of new light-duty vehicle sales in July 2024, but fell to nine per cent in early 2025, a 23 per cent decrease from the same period last year
“The reason for that is because the incentive has gone away,” said Leury. “A lot of people are waiting for the subsidy to come back, it’s what made it affordable for them to buy an electric car.”
The federal government paused the Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) Program in January 2025. The program had offered up to a $5,000 rebate as an incentive.
Federal uncertainty has also affected the market. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a one-year pause and 60-day review of the EV mandate in September. It had set targets of 20 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2026, 60 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.
The Director of Strategic Initiatives and Public Affairs at Plug ‘N Drive told Capital Current consumer hesitancy has played a role in Canada’s electric vehicle registration decrease.
“One of the challenges we face with EV adoption in Canada is a lack of understanding; the facts and benefits get distorted in mass media and word of mouth,” said Chad Yee.
To address these misconceptions, he hopes there is continued investment in Canada’s charging infrastructure.
“[Investment will make] EVs more affordable for Canadians from at least from a purchase price standpoint, because they’re already affordable on a total cost of ownership,” said Yee.
He added that most Canadians still rely on home charging, meaning public station usage isn’t the best measure of overall demand. Still, access to public infrastructure is vital for apartment dwellers, visitors, and those without garages.
“The electrification of transportation is just a matter of time,” Leury said. “We have enough charging now, but we’ll need more as the fleet grows.”
