Ontario will install a network of almost 500 charging points over the next nine months, as the province seeks to increase electric vehicle usage among residents and businesses.

Working with 24 public and private sector partners, the network will include 200 rapid chargers and 300 fast AC units in cities, along highways and at public places across the region.

The units will be in service by the end of March 2017, and the network is designed to offer easy travel between Windsor and Ottawa, or from Toronto to North Bay without range anxiety, according to the Ministry of Transportation. It is supported by Ontario’s Green Investment Fund.

Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, said: “By investing in charging infrastructure that is fast, reliable and affordable, we are encouraging more Ontarians to purchase electric vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas pollution and keeping our air clean.”