WASHINGTON – Canada and the U.S. are teaming up to build a corridor of charging stations between Quebec City and Michigan to encourage motorists in both countries to buy more electric vehicles.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg unveiled their Alternative Fuel Corridor at an event in Detroit.

Charging infrastructure would be installed every 80 kilometres and include at least one direct current fast charger compatible with the Combined Charging System standard.

The corridor is expected to run 1,400 kilometres from Quebec City to Kalamazoo, Mich., linking Montreal, Toronto and Detroit along the way.

There will be 215 charging stations — 61 between Detroit and Toronto and 154 the rest of the way — fuelling one of the busiest passenger and trade routes between Canada and the U.S.

A cross-border EV charging network was among the goals President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed on when the pair met in Ottawa in March.

“This first cross-border alternative fuel corridor will help drivers to travel across the border and charge or refuel worry-free,” Alghabra said in a statement after making the announcement Tuesday.

“It contributes to bringing us another step closer to making our air cleaner while helping people save money on traditional fuels.”

The federal government says on-road transportation accounts for 23 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2023.