September 26, 2011 – Electric Mobility Canada (EMC) supports the “Building of Canada’s Green Highway”—a vision for Canadians to be able to travel coast-to-coast using alternative energy to power their vehicles. The announcement was made at EV 2011, the Electric Vehicles Conference & Trade Show in Toronto, Ont., which kicked off today. And EBMag was there!

“Building Canada’s Green Highway is a vision that will provide an opportunity to travel across Canada using ‘Alternative Energy Stations’ to supply all vehicles of the present and future,” says EMC. “These stations will include the current offering of petroleum products but, as we move forward, will include electricity and the accompanying infrastructure to support electric vehicle (EV) charging.”

EMC says the Building Canada’s Green Highway announcement was accelerated following the success of the West Coast Green highway initiative in the States—1350 miles of interstate which make up the I-5 West Coast Green Highway. This private-public partnership provides a focus on the need for alternative transportation methods and the infrastructure necessary to strengthen the electric mobility community in North America, insists EMC.

Al Cormier, president and CEO of EMC, indicated that various EMC members that deal with infrastructure for electrification projects were greatly encouraged by a recent announcement regarding a new federal subsidy program: the ecoEnergy Innovation Initiative, which promises to invest $97 million for renewable and clean electricity demonstrations, including the infrastructure needs such as charging stations for the electrification of transportation.

“Promoting the electric mobility community—be it business, universities or individuals—is paramount to giving Canadians a choice in the energy used for their transportation needs,” said Mike Elwood, chair of the EMC board and vice-president marketing at Azure Dynamics Corp. “This federal support for the development of charging infrastructure is very important for the successful implementation of electric mobility in Canada.”