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New Request for Proposals and Tools to Deploy Thousands More EV Chargers Across Canada

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OTTAWA, ON, July 2, 2024 /CNW/ – From coast to coast to coast, Canadians are saving thousands of dollars a year on gas by rapidly making the switch to electric vehicles, with over 320,000 new electric vehicles registered in 2023 alone. The Government of Canada is taking action to make it more affordable for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EVs) across the country while driving toward a net-zero future, including by making it easier to access public EV charging through historic direct investments, research and partnerships with the private sector and other levels of government.

Funding and Request for Proposals

To advance these efforts, today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, launched a new request for proposals (RFP) under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). The RFP will support the deployment of EV chargers, including fast chargers, in public places across Canada such as highways and public lots. The RFP will also support the deployment of chargers at private locations, including multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces and where on-road vehicle fleets are serviced. Applications will be accepted until September 19, 2024. 

This funding will deploy thousands of new chargers across Canada, building on the Government of Canada’s progress to deploy 84,500 EV chargers across Canada, including through ZEVIP, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)’s Charging and Hydrogen Refuelling Infrastructure Initiative, and incentive credits under both the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard and the Clean Fuel Regulations. 

In addition to investments by provinces, territories, municipalities and the private sector, the federal government has supported approximately 20% of the nearly 30,000 public chargers that are operating in Canada. As a result, there were 70 percent more EV chargers in Canada in 2023 than in 2022, with thousands more on the way each year.

Supporting Deployment Through Tools and Research

Today, Natural Resources Canada released  Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Canada: Updated forecasts of vehicle charging needs, grid impacts and cost for all vehicle segments (2024 EV Charging Needs Report).The independently produced report assesses the country’s charging landscape, guides decision-making and informs investment needs, including by provinces, territories, municipal governments and the private sector.

The 2024 EV Charging Needs Report provides a detailed regional analysis of public and private charging needs for both light-duty vehicles and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, together with related grid readiness requirements and investments. The report highlights that a coordinated effort is needed from all levels of government, industry, utilities and other private-sector stakeholders to continue to accelerate deployment.

Additionally, to help investors, stakeholders, provinces, territories and communities determine the most suitable locations for chargers, the Government of Canada has developed the National Public EV Charging Planning Map.

These evidence-based tools will support the deployment of chargers in the areas with the greatest public charging need, including along routes, highways and communities.

Canadians are making the switch to electric vehicles, reducing their energy costs while driving down emissions. The Government of Canada will continue to support them in accelerating toward a prosperous, net-zero future, including by ensuring all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada are zero-emission by 2035; by supporting the deployment of public charging stations across the country; and by building out a Canadian-made electric vehicle supply chain that creates sustainable, good-paying jobs for Canadian workers.

Quotes

“Canadians are making the switch to EVs because it’s a great way to save money while ensuring clean air in our communities and fighting climate change. We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more available where Canadians live, work, travel and play. Today, we launched another funding request for proposals via the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which will help deploy thousands more chargers across Canada. This will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a prosperous net-zero future.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

“Hundreds of thousands of Canadians are making the switch to an EV every year. They expect access to convenient, affordable and reliable charging — including in public spaces. Today’s call for proposals does that by investing in thousands more chargers and equipping the private sector and governments with the tools they need to deploy more chargers, faster.”

Julie Dabrusin 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and 
to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick Facts

The federal government’s investment in EV charging infrastructure is supporting Canadians by reducing barriers to EV adoption while spurring investment and growth across Canada’s EV supply chain, including through Transport Canada’s Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Program (iZEV), which makes zero-emission vehicles more affordable for Canadians and has received another $1.7 billion in Budget 2022; and,Budget 2024 announces the government’s intention to introduce a new 10-percent Electric Vehicle Supply Chain investment tax credit on the cost of buildings used in key segments of the electric vehicle supply chain for businesses that invest in Canada across three supply chain segments:electric vehicle assembly;electric vehicle battery production; and,cathode active material production.The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) has made significant strides in the automotive and battery sector in recent years. Since 2017, the Fund has announced over $5.5 billion in funding toward the automotive and battery sector, of which approximately $5.3 billion has been directly in support of the EV transition.These investments include projects focused on producing battery materials, battery components and packs and on manufacturing EVs and developing vehicle components specific to low-carbon transportation (e.g., next-generation tires).Investing $3.8 billion in the mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals,Since 2016, the Government of Canada has allocated over $1.2 billion in funding to support the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations across the country.Since 2019, a total of over 40,000 EV chargers (Level 2 and Level 3) have been supported by ZEVIP.The 2024 EV Charging Needs Report provides an update to a 2022 NRCan-commissioned study, Updated Projections of Canada’s Public Charging Infrastructure Needs, based on changing trends in the EV market, charger utilization and assessment methodologies.As noted in the report, “The results are intended to support the Government of Canada — as well as provincial and municipal governments, utilities and other stakeholders — in planning to ensure that sufficient charging infrastructure will be deployed to support Canada’s targets”As of May 2024, NRCan’s infrastructure programs and the Canadian Infrastructure Bank’s Charging and Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure Initiative had already committed funds for the installation of over 46,000 chargers across the country, with more than 14,000 of these federally funded chargers already in operation.EV charger deployment has seen significant growth: an average of 45 percent annually since 2016 and a jump to 72-percent growth between 2022 and 2023.With Budget 2023, the Government of Canada has now committed more than $40 billion to support Canada’s clean electricity sector, including related grid updates for EV charging infrastructure.This significant investment is building an EV charging network for Canadians, and we continue to work with all levels of government, industry, utilities and other private sector stakeholders to further accelerate deployment.

Related Information

Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure ProgramThe Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB) Charging and Hydrogen Refuelling Infrastructure Initiative (CHRII)2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy Electric Charging and Alternative Fuelling Stations LocatorZero-emission vehicles: IncentivesBuilding a green economy: Government of Canada to require 100% of car and passenger truck sales be zero-emission by 2035 in Canada

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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Solidion Technology Enters into Binding Strategic Patent Monetization Agreement with Hilco Global

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Company intends to monetize its foundational patent portfolio in the global $150 billion battery market

DALLAS, April 20, 2026 /CNW/ — Solidion Technology Inc. (“Solidion” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: STI), an advanced battery technology solutions provider, announced that it has entered into a binding agreement with the IP Services Practice of Hilco Global (a subsidiary of Orix Company) to monetize its foundational energy portfolio and enforce its patent rights. Hilco has analyzed the Solidion patent portfolio to identify high value assets and the patent data suggest that a significant number of global companies will likely require a license to the Solidion portfolio.  In the energy storage segment in particular, virtually all the major players in the industry have technology that overlaps with the Solidion portfolio and the same appears to be true in semiconductors, consumer electronics and aerospace.

The value of Solidion’s portfolio could exceed $750 million.

Jaymes Winters, Chief Executive Officer of Solidion Technology, stated:

“The entire energy storage ecosystem has repetitiously utilized several of Solidion’s foundational patents to monetize their business models at a level rarely seen before. These are not just mom and pop startups, most of them are worldly known household names and industry leaders in not just EV battery storage, but other sectors such as semiconductors, aircraft and automotive manufacturing and cutting edge materials. The value of Solidion’s portfolio could exceed $750 million.”

Karl Maersch, head of the Patent Analysis & Monetization Group at Hilco IP Services, stated:

“Solidion’s portfolio covers various aspects of graphene and battery technology and it has applicability across multiple industry segments and includes companies that compete with Solidion and companies in adjacent technology segments.  In our view, the portfolio shows significant indicia of value and we are excited to partner with Solidion to help the company extract revenue from its portfolio.”

About Solidion Technology, Inc.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas with pilot production facilities in Dayton, Ohio, Solidion’s (NASDAQ: STI) core business includes manufacturing of  battery materials and components, as well as development and production of next-generation batteries for energy storage systems, including including UPS systems serving the artificial intelligence (AI) data center market and electric vehicles for ground, aerospace, and sea transportation. Solidion holds a portfolio of over 345 patents, covering innovations such as high-capacity, silane gas free and graphene-enabled silicon anodes, biomass-based graphite, advanced lithium-sulfur and lithium-metal technologies.

For more information, please visit www.solidiontech.com or contact Investor Relations.

About Hilco Global

Hilco Global, a subsidiary of ORIX Corporation USA, is a diversified financial services company that delivers integrated professional services and capital solutions that help clients maximize value and drive performance across the retail, commercial and industrial, real estate, manufacturing, brand and intellectual property sectors, and more. Hilco Global provides a range of customized solutions to healthy, stressed, and distressed companies to resolve complex situations and enhance long-term enterprise value. Hilco Global works to deliver the best possible result by aligning interests with clients and providing strategic advice and, in many instances, the capital required to complete the deal. Hilco Global is based in Northbrook, Illinois and has more than 810 professionals operating on four continents.

Visit www.hilcoglobal.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Solidion Technology Inc., (NASDAQ: STI) (the “Company,” “Solidion,” “we,” “our” or “us”) desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “forecasts” “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

 

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Following Pivotal Trial, FDA Set to Review First-of-a-Kind VR Autism Therapy

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WASHINGTON, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Floreo, a developer of virtual reality (VR)-based therapeutic technologies, today announced the submission of a De Novo request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for FloreoRx, its software-based product being evaluated for use in supporting skill development in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. FloreoRx is an investigational device and has not yet been cleared or approved by the FDA.

In 2023, Floreo became the first VR autism technology to receive the FDA’s Breakthrough Device Designation, a program designed to expedite the development and review of technologies that may provide more effective treatment for serious conditions.

For many families and clinicians, access to consistent, high-quality autism therapy remains a persistent challenge. If authorized, FloreoRx could become one of the first FDA-authorized therapeutic devices intended to address core social communication challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Using a VR headset and FloreoRx, behavioral therapists deliver structured experiences that enable users to safely develop and practice social communication skills through real-world scenarios and interactions.

The submission is supported by data from Floreo’s pivotal trial which utilized FloreoRx within Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) autism therapy evaluated against an active VR sham control. The study was 100% monitored and among the largest prospective, multi-site randomized controlled trials of a VR-based intervention conducted in children with autism.

The pivotal trial was conducted in partnership with Cortica Healthcare (Cortica) across 18 clinical sites nationwide, leveraging Cortica’s gold-standard integrated autism care model. Additionally, MCRA served as CRO and Highland BioMed provided strategic regulatory assistance with the preparation of the De Novo submission.

The trial focused on core social communication challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, assessed using the Autism Impact Measure (AIM). At clinically interpretable thresholds of improvement, participants receiving Floreo treatment demonstrated higher responder rates than those in the VR control group (e.g., 45.6% vs. 23.3%), with statistically significant differences between groups. These results were supported by consistent improvements across clinician-rated and functional measures.

Importantly, this trial also reflects the scale and operational capacity required to generate meaningful results in real-world care settings. Cortica enrolled 125 patients and coordinated more than 150 behavioral technician VR coaches and 15 blinded assessors across all sites involved in the study over a 15-month period, spanning both blinded therapy delivery and crossover.

“The clinical research continues to validate what clinicians and families are seeing every day: immersive VR can meaningfully support skill development for autistic learners,” said Vijay Ravindran, founder and CEO of Floreo. “Three things stand out in the trial: 1) That Floreo could achieve statistically significant results with a dosage of 18 minutes per week over 12 weeks, 2) That Floreo performed better as the severity of symptoms increased, and 3) that improvements continued to strengthen after 60 days.”

Clinical Highlights Include:

Social Skills: Clinician-administered CARS-2 evaluations showed a statistically significant LSMean change of -4.5 for the Floreo group versus -2.2 for the control (p = .0182).Subgroup Analysis (Highest-Burden Baseline): Participants in the highest-burden tertile at baseline demonstrated a 72% responder rate compared to 30% in the control group (p=0.009).Post-Treatment Observation: Improvements observed in AIM scores for the FloreoRx group at the 12-week end-of-treatment mark were sustained at the 60-day follow-up evaluation.High Skill Mastery: A majority of participants (95.1%) mastered one or more new skills by the end of treatment, as measured by the Assessment of Functional Living Skills.Family Quality of Life: Caregiver-reported CFQL-2 reports on family quality of life showed a between groups difference that was statistically significant for the Floreo group versus the control of 0.152 (p = 0.032).Crossover Findings: Participants who initially received the VR control demonstrated improvements after transitioning to Floreo treatment, supporting the consistency of the observed treatment effect.Safety Profile: No serious adverse events were reported in the study, and observed adverse events were generally mild and transient.High Engagement and Satisfaction Across Stakeholders: High levels of satisfaction were reported across clinicians and caregivers, including clinician-reported enjoyment of VR (98%) and willingness to use it as a treatment tool (88%), as well as parent-reported child enjoyment (93%) and interest in using VR as part of therapy (86%).

If authorized, Floreo intends to make FloreoRx available as an adjunct to existing therapeutic approaches, with the goal of expanding access to structured, skills-based interventions for the approximately 3% of children in the United States diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, where access to consistent, high-quality therapy remains a significant challenge.

Floreo currently offers a commercially available VR platform designed for general wellness and skills development that does not make medical or therapeutic claims. FloreoRx is a separate investigational product under FDA review.

About Floreo
Floreo’s vision is a world that is open and accessible for every neurodiverse person. Through immersive virtual reality experiences, Floreo creates safe, engaging environments where learners can build skills and tools they can apply in their everyday lives. Floreo’s virtual reality platform teaches social, behavioral, communication, and life skills for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other neurodiverse conditions. For more information, please visit floreovr.com.

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SOURCE Floreo

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Hyperscale Data Accelerates Michigan Operations Capabilities for AI Data Center and Robotics Hub

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Company Advances Facility Reconfiguration and Robotics Capabilities, with Plans to Hire 500+ Employees Over Three Years

LAS VEGAS, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hyperscale Data, Inc. (NYSE American: GPUS), an artificial intelligence (“AI”) data center company anchored by Bitcoin (“Hyperscale Data” or the “Company”), today announced that it is accelerating the enhancement of its Michigan operations into a combined AI data center and robotics hub, following its recently executed agreement with AGIBOT PTE. LTD. (“AGIBOT”), a developer of intelligent robotics technology.

The Company is advancing the reconfiguration of key sections of its existing building on its 34.5-acre campus to support AI infrastructure, robotics deployment, and large-scale data generation. Hyperscale Data currently operates approximately 30 megawatts (“MW”) of power capacity at the site, and the Company believes there is potential to expand to over 300 MW over time.

Building an Integrated AI and Robotics Platform

Hyperscale Data is enhancing its Michigan operations to combine high-performance computing infrastructure with robotics capabilities. Sections of the existing building are being re-imagined to support robotics assembly, testing, and deployment alongside AI model training and validation.

As part of this initiative, the Company is initially dedicating more than 100,000 square feet within its existing 617,000 square foot facility to AI and robotics operations. Within this footprint, the Company plans to:

Develop robotics assembly and testing capabilities;Build real-world environments for data collection and system validation; andIntegrate compute infrastructure with robotics-driven data generation.

Data generated through these activities is expected to be commercialized and utilized within U.S. markets, supporting domestic AI development and deployment.

Supporting Next-Generation AI Development

Hyperscale Data believes that the next phase of AI will increasingly depend on real-world data and physical system training in addition to traditional digital datasets.

The Michigan campus is being developed to support:

Machine-generated data from robotics operating in real environments;Human (egocentric) data capture for contextual learning;Testing and validation of robotic systems; and  Training workflows for advanced AI models.

Workforce Expansion and Regional Impact

Hyperscale Data expects to hire more than 500 employees over the next three years to support its Michigan operations. Anticipated roles include robotics engineers, AI data specialists, infrastructure personnel, and operations staff.

The Company expects to pursue opportunities to support frontier AI developers, those advancing large-scale models and next-generation robotics systems, and high-performance computing platforms as demand for these capabilities evolves.

Investor Webcast

Hyperscale Data invites investors and the public to join its previously announced Tuesday webcast, where management will provide additional details on the Michigan enhancement, robotics strategy, and AI infrastructure plans. To register for the webcast, please visit here.

The webcast will feature:

William B. Horne, Chief Executive Officer; andMilton “Todd” Ault III, Executive Chairman.

Executive Commentary

William B. Horne, Chief Executive Officer of Hyperscale Data, stated:

“We are enhancing our Michigan operations into a scaled AI and robotics platform that supports both high-performance compute and real-world data generation. This next phase of development positions us to support evolving AI workloads while creating high-quality jobs in the region.”

Milton “Todd” Ault III, Executive Chairman of Hyperscale Data, added:

“This initiative builds on our existing infrastructure and expands it into a more comprehensive AI ecosystem. By combining compute, robotics, and data generation in a single environment, we are developing infrastructure aligned with where artificial intelligence is heading.”

For more information on Hyperscale Data and its subsidiaries, Hyperscale Data recommends that stockholders, investors and any other interested parties read Hyperscale Data’s public filings and press releases available under the Investor Relations section at hyperscaledata.com or available at www.sec.gov.

About Hyperscale Data, Inc.

Through its wholly owned subsidiary Sentinum, Inc., Hyperscale Data owns and operates a data center at which it mines digital assets and offers colocation and hosting services for the emerging AI ecosystems and other industries. Hyperscale Data’s other wholly owned subsidiary, Ault Capital Group, Inc. (“ACG”), is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact.

Hyperscale Data currently expects the divestiture of ACG (the “Divestiture”) to occur in the second quarter of 2027. Upon the occurrence of the Divestiture, the Company would be an owner and operator of data centers to support high-performance computing services, as well as a holder of the digital assets. Until the Divestiture occurs, the Company will continue to provide, through ACG and its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including an AI software platform, equipment rental services, defense/aerospace, industrial, automotive, medical/biopharma and hotel operations. In addition, ACG is actively engaged in private credit and structured finance through a licensed lending subsidiary. Hyperscale Data’s headquarters are located at 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 190, Las Vegas, NV 89141.

On December 23, 2024, the Company issued one million (1,000,000) shares of a newly designated Series F Exchangeable Preferred Stock (the “Series F Preferred Stock”) to all common stockholders and holders of the Series C Preferred Stock on an as-converted basis. The Divestiture will occur through the voluntary exchange of the Series F Preferred Stock for shares of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock of ACG (collectively, the “ACG Shares”). The Company reminds its stockholders that only those holders of the Series F Preferred Stock who agree to surrender such shares, and do not properly withdraw such surrender, in the exchange offer through which the Divestiture will occur, will be entitled to receive the ACG Shares and consequently be shareholders of ACG upon the occurrence of the Divestiture.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “potential,” or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Company’s business and financial results are included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Company’s Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All filings are available at www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website at hyperscaledata.com.

 

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SOURCE Hyperscale Data Inc.

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