Toronto, Ontario – In this week’s electric and autonomous vehicle report, Shell Canada receives funding for 79 new EV chargers across the country, Ontario’s Premier pushes back on EV incentives in the province and Subaru unveils its new Solterra EV crossover.
A Shell of its Former Self
Shell Canada is getting in on the nation’s expanding EV charging network as the oil and gas giant was recently approved for $3.95 million in funding to build 79 EV charging stations across the country.
With funding being supplied by Natural Resources Canada, Shell is prepared to roll out chargers to 36 locations across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
At this time, it is unclear whether these locations will be the extent of Shell’s network in Canada, or just the ones being funded with public money.
No Dollars, No Sense
Ontario Premier Doug Ford shot down the suggestion of EV rebates as a response to Biden’s America-centric Build Back Better Plan, on Thursday, referring to prospective EV buyers as “millionaires.”
Ford cut former Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive Program back in 2018 and has done little in the meantime to spur Ontario’s lagging EV sales, which are among the lowest in the nation.
President of Plug’n’Drive Cara Clairman says that the benefits of EV incentives cannot be overstated.
“You just have to look at the stats to see the difference it makes,” said Clairman. “There’s an assumption we’re going to have all this EV adoption. The province isn’t doing anything to make that happen. It won’t just happen by itself.”
The Era of Solterra
Subaru has unveiled its first-ever global EV offering in the Solterra EV crossover, which the Japanese OEM hopes to be its flagship electric vehicle going forward.
The company said that “by devising the skeleton shape of each part of the body and optimizing the material strength, Solterra achieves both weight reduction and superior collision safety at the same time.
“In the event of a collision, the structure that transfers the load to multiple body skeletons efficiently absorbs collision energy. It protects not only the vehicle occupants but also protects the high-voltage equipment in the BEV system,” read Subaru’s press release.
Subaru is expected to officially debut the Solterra at the LA Auto Show on Wednesday.
