Jolt stations will double as a digital advertising platform and offer limited free EV charging, replicating a model already deployed in Australia, New Zealand and the UK

Electric vehicle drivers in Richmond Hill, Ont., can access a new fast-charging station starting today — and, get this, the first 7 kWh is free.

Other Canadian drivers won’t have to wait much longer for their chance either, according to the network’s operator, Jolt.

Jolt, an Australian-based firm, has partnered in Canada with telecommunications company Telus. It plans to expand quickly in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

“We’re prioritizing the areas with the highest density of EV drivers and demand for fast charging,” says Brendan Dillon, country manager at Jolt Canada in an interview with Electric Autonomy. “By focusing on these locations first, we’re going to ensure that the network builds momentum quickly, and we’re going to provide immediate value to our EV users.”

In all, Jolt says it aims to build a national network of up to 5,000 fast chargers (initially just 25-50kW, however).

Year-long process

The network was announced in June 2023. It’s only now that the first charging station is online.

This year-long delay, says Dillon, was largely due to the complexities involved in building a charging network from scratch in a still-emerging market.

“To boil it down, in every region we’ve had to collaborate closely with local governments, private landowners and local utilities to ensure that our chargers are going to be placed strategically where they’re going to have the most impact for drivers,” says Dillon. “There’s been a lot of planning and due diligence.”

The partnership with Telus has helped streamline this process while ensuring the chargers maintain their reliability and performance.

“Having a major partner like Telus, that has boots on the ground and resources, is key to help us to navigate the different nuances and challenges of each different market across Canada,” says Dillon.

Last year, it was said that the new stations would include public Wi-Fi from Telus.

Ad revenue funds free charging

All Jolt charging stations feature an integrated digital out-of-home advertising network.

“What makes us unique is that we are 100 per cent ad-funded,” says Dillon.
“All the advertising revenue that runs on our screen directly funds the free seven kilowatt hours of charging per day that we give to every user, every day.”

In many ways, Jolt’s stations are as much about advertising as they are about EV charging. The recent hiring of Justin Dempsey as its vice-president of real estate only underscores this approach. Dempsey’s former employer was Outedge, one of Canada’s largest outdoor advertising companies.

Of note, Outedge was recently purchased by Bell Media.

According to Jolt’s latest news release, the stations will offer CCS1 plugs. Jolt says a NACS plug type is in development.

Jolt also says its chargers will be powered by “100 per cent renewable energy.”

“Knowing that we have now broken ground [on our first charging station], we’ve proven proof of concept and conversations are expediting to get more of these in,” says Dillon. “Our short-term goals are now going to be about scaling up this team, creating more jobs for Jolt Canada to bring in talent and roll out this key infrastructure.”