Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, opened two calls for the Green Freight Program and the Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative’s (ZEVAI) new medium- and heavy-duty stream to help drivers save money at the pump while contributing to Canada’s fight against climate change.
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Green Freight Program
The first call for applications will fund successful projects under the $200-million Green Freight Program (GFP) to help fleets reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from on-road freight.
Stream 1 of the GFP is designed to support investments in third-party fleet energy assessments and retrofits, such as aerodynamic devices, anti-idling equipment and fuel-efficient tires, to name a few. Successful applicants could each receive grants of up to $250,000 toward these activities.
Applications for this call will be accepted until funding is no longer available.
Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative
The second call for proposals focuses on awareness and education projects through the ZEVAI new medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) stream. This expansion of the existing program will support outreach, education and capacity-building projects related to low- and zero-emission MHDVs, which include delivery vans, buses and certain long-haul freight trucks.
By improving awareness and confidence among businesses and fleet owners, ZEVAI projects will support more widespread adoption of these vehicles, further driving the decarbonization of the MHDV sector across the country.
Successful applicants from for-profit organizations could each receive up to 50 percent of their total project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 for one-year projects and $200,000 for two-year projects. Governments, not-for-profit and Indigenous organizations could each receive up to 75 percent of total project costs, to a maximum of $150,000 for one-year projects and $300,000 for two-year projects.
This call for proposals will close on March 13, 2023.
Since 2016, Canada has invested over $1 billion to make electric vehicles (EVs) more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians.
Through these new initiatives, the federal government is helping businesses save money, reduce pollution and decarbonize the fleet of today as they prepare for the adoption of the ZEVs of the future. ■