Aviva Canada has partnered with Earth Day Canada to provide Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in several under-served communities across the country.
The $3 million deal will see Aviva Canada work in cooperation with local municipalities and utility suppliers to install public use charging stations to address accessibility barriers to EV adoption.
“We are extremely proud at Aviva that as part of our company’s overall climate commitments, we have been able to identify a specific pain point in terms of EV adoption and take direct action to address that,” said Jason Storah, Aviva CEO. “This program will make a difference in communities where EV adoption isn’t currently viewed as a realistic option.”
The lack of access to charging options is particularly prevalent among smaller communities, according to a Pollara Research survey commissioned by the insurer, which examined the correlation of awareness and availability of charging infrastructure with people’s confidence and readiness to make the EV transition.
Surveying Ontario residents, about 33% said they were confident that an EV “can meet their day-to-day needs.” This was lower among those living in communities with populations under 50,000, with only 23% saying they felt confident that EVs could meet their daily needs and just 18% revealing they had access to charging options.
EV confidence was also found to be highest in the densely populated areas of the 905 and the GTA/416, while the lowest levels of confidence were in Northern and Eastern Ontario.
Aviva said the Charged for Change program with Earth Day Canada will provide communities with funding for six to 10 Level 2 chargers. Applications will start on January 3, until March 22. A total of nine communities will be selected for the initiative over the course of three years, beginning with three Ontario communities in 2023.
“Globally, we are seeing the consequences of climate change and the need to address its effects is now,” said Valérie Mallamo, executive director of Earth Day Canada. “One of the many ways we can reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions is to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. We’re happy to have the support of Aviva Canada to help Canadians in under-served communities access infrastructure and take charge for a sustainable future.”
The Earth Day Canada partnership is the latest of Aviva’s climate initiatives, having recently contributed $250,000 to Canada’s first full-build, zero-emission vehicle Project Arrow. It also launched a new EV insurance solution, which allows customers to enjoy up to 10% off their premiums when insuring an EV.
