The most effective bank cards for EV charging in Canada for 2025

FAQ about EV charging

Get solutions to steadily requested questions on charging electrical autos in Canada, together with charging occasions and prices, and places of Petro-Canada charging stations.

How lengthy does it take to cost an electrical automobile?

It is a bit like asking how lengthy it takes to fill a pool. The reply relies on the dimensions of the pool, the hose you’re utilizing and even the climate. Whereas there’s no one-size-fits-all reply, understanding just a few key elements will enable you estimate charging occasions, whether or not you’re topping up in a single day or fuelling up on a street journey.

Charging time relies on the ability supply, the automobile’s charger and its battery dimension, and even climate situations:

• The ability supply: A primary family outlet might take days to replenish an EV—consider it as trickling water right into a barrel with a tiny spout. A quicker dwelling setup, like a 240-volt charger you’d use for a dryer, cuts that all the way down to only a few hours in a single day. Public stations are fast-charging and are the speediest choice. These can juice up your battery in lower than an hour.

• The automobile: Take a small battery, like in a Nissan Leaf—it’d cost totally in seven to eight hours with a 240-volt setup, or about an hour with a quick charger. An even bigger battery, say in a GMC Hummer EV, might take nearer to 13 hours at dwelling or round two hours with quick charging. 
• Climate: Climate can nudge these occasions a bit—chilly or sizzling days may gradual issues down—however it’s normally a minor issue. Excessive temperatures, nonetheless, can significantly enhance cost time. Excessive chilly can cut back battery effectivity by round 20% to 40%. 

So, charging might vary from a fast 20 to 120 minutes at a quick station to a leisurely 5 to 13 hours at dwelling, relying in your setup and EV. 

How a lot does it value to cost and electrical automobile?

At dwelling, the place most EV homeowners cost, prices tie into your electrical energy invoice. In a metropolis like Toronto, charging in a single day throughout off-peak hours may run you lower than $1 per day—round $300 a yr for the common driver. That’s a steal in comparison with a tank of fuel. Charges differ by location and time, although. The associated fee may be larger throughout peak hours and in pricier areas.

Public charging stations provide comfort however typically include a charge. Some cost by time (e.g., $0.30 per minute), some cost by vitality use (e.g., $0.40/kWh), and a few cost a flat fee per session (e.g., $5 to $7 for a fast enhance). Vitality-based billing remains to be growing in Canada. Free stations exist too—you could discover them close to companies or in parks—however they’re not the norm. Quick-charging spots, like superchargers, are likely to value extra for his or her pace, although they prevent time on the go.

The make-up of your EV issues, too. A smaller battery, like in a plug-in hybrid, prices much less to fill than a giant one in a full electrical SUV. Effectivity performs a task as effectively. Extra environment friendly fashions stretch every cost additional, trimming prices.

So, you’ll be able to count on a variety of costs: roughly $0.78 each day at dwelling in a metropolis like Toronto (throughout off-peak hours) to round $10 for a fast public top-up on the street. In comparison with gas-powered autos, EVs normally win on financial savings, particularly with good charging habits.

EV charging stations in Canada

Petro-Canada EV charging

Petro-Canada was the primary main fuel retailer to increase on Canada’s EV charging infrastructure. In 2019, it opened an EV charging station in Victoria, B.C., marking the completion of Canada’s Electrical Freeway, the nation’s first coast-to-coast community of quick chargers.

Extra of Canada’s finest bank cards: