On Thursday (15th), the Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Regan, announced a $50,000 investment in Toronto’s Ecohive Inc., to raise awareness of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and help Canadians make informed decisions when choosing their next vehicle.
Ecohive is using the funding to develop Torque Network, a mobile application for the Electric Vehicle (EV) community. The new app will provide EV owners, enthusiasts, and industry experts with a digital space to learn about EVs, grow their network and communicate with each other through chat features and moderated forums.
The app is now available on the Apple iOS store for download in Canada. It will later be developed for Android, with launch plans in the United States, Europe and, eventually, in the rest of the world.
Federal funding is provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative, supporting the government’s ambitious target to have all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada be ZEVs by 2040.
“We’re giving Canadians the greener options they want to get to where they need to go. This is how we get to net-zero by 2050”, said Seamus O’Regan.
According to Imran Javer, product designer at Torque Network, “with the global pandemic, we are seeing Canadians and people across the world reconnecting with the planet and demanding a higher quality of life that is sustainable. Tech and a little bit of creativity can help us achieve that. This app was created to act as a catalyst for positive change and collaboration through the common appreciation of EVs and other disruptive technologies that are changing the world for the better”.
The government remains committed to supporting green infrastructure projects aimed at creating jobs, preparing for a low carbon future in Canada and reaching the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. ■
