Electric mobility strategy
The City is focusing on all forms of electric mobility as reaching the net zero goals of our Calgary Climate Strategy will require changes in all aspects of transportation. Transportation in Calgary involves more than just cars. Some forms of electric mobility, such as e-bikes and e-scooters, also improve the livability of our city by making wheeling more accessible to Calgarians of all ages and abilities.
The EV and LEV Strategy provide additional detail on how these actions will be implemented. They are closely tied to the Future of Transportation Program, which monitors and plans for the impacts of new technologies on how people will live, work and travel in Calgary over the coming decades.
Electric vehicles in Calgary
Why is The City focusing on electric vehicles?
Today, transportation accounts for approximately 34% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced in Calgary.
One of the greatest opportunities to reduce our transportation-related GHG emissions is to switch to vehicle technologies that produce fewer GHG emissions. That’s where electric vehicles (EVs) come in.
EVs produce no tailpipe emissions. There are GHG emissions associated with making the electric batteries and the electricity supply if it comes from a non-renewable source. The net result is that EVs produce about half the emissions of a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle in Alberta today. This gap in emissions will widen as the last coal-powered plants are decommissioned and the provincial electricity system increases inputs from renewable sources.
Every year, we are seeing the difference between the average cost of a new EV and a new gasoline-powered vehicle decrease, a wider variety of EV options (from smaller sedans to SUVs and pickups trucks) available for sale, more EVs on the used car market, and steady growth in new electric vehicle registrations. Therefore, we are working to prepare for many more EVs on Calgary streets in the coming years.
What is the future of electric vehicles?
To further promote the usage and uptake of EVs, The City is advancing access to charging infrastructure by means of: