DETROIT — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Tuesday to announce the first Binational Electric Vehicle Corridor between the U.S. and Canada.
The new electric vehicle corridor will stretch from Kalamazoo, Mich., to Quebec City, Quebec, tapping into the more than 75,000 miles of Alternative Fuel Corridors in the United States. The corridor will feature DC fast chargers approximately every 50 miles, or 80 kilometers.
“There’s nothing more Pure Michigan than accidentally driving into Canada, and now that journey will be electric on either side of the border,” Whitmer said. “I am proud that we are working together to build up electric vehicle charging infrastructure. With the resources headed our way from … the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the bold investments Michigan automakers are making, we will build and lead the future of mobility.”
Buttigieg said the corridor fits well with other partnerships beween the U.S. and Canada.
“The U.S. and Canada have long enjoyed a productive partnership on transportation issues and in that spirit we are proud to announce the first-ever U.S.-Canada EV Corridor,” Buttigieg said. “With historic investments in EV infrastructure from the Biden-Harris Administration and the Canadian government, we are creating a new generation of good-paying manufacturing jobs, making it possible for drivers everywhere to reap the benefits and savings of these vehicles while helping us fight climate change.”
Algbhabra said the corridor will help drivers travel across the border and “charge or refuel worry-free.”
“Canada and the United States have built the world’s largest market-based energy trading relationship, which provides a firm foundation as we strive to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,” he said. “It contributes to bringing us another step closer to making our air cleaner while helping people save money on traditional fuels.”
Duggan called the announcement a “huge step” into the future of zero-emissions transportation and commerce.
“This corridor will carry the flow of EV traffic, trade, and manufacturing between the United States and Canada, through Detroit’s international crossing with Windsor,” Duggan said.
