Telus has announced it has partnered with with Jolt, an Australian electric vehicle (EV) charging company, to deploy up to 5,000 public DC fast chargers across Canada.
The deployment of the Jolt EV charging stations will begin later this year and will feature Telus’ public Wi-Fi capability, keeping EV owners connected while they are plugged in. There is a perk to using Jolt’s EV charging network as EV drivers will get 7 kWh of free charging every day. For a Model Y that’s about 10% of the battery’s charge equivalent to about 50km (31 miles) of range.
No information was released about where these 5,000 charging stations will be located. Likewise, there was no information provided about the technical specs of the chargers, but on a FAQ page on the Jolt website, it is said that their “fast chargers charge at a speed of 25 kW DC.” Hopefully that won’t be the case for the chargers they will be deploying across Canada as the press release specifically mentions “DC fast chargers,” and 25kW is not even close to what is considered a fast charger. We have reached out to the companies for clarification.
UPDATE June 23 10:10am PT: In a statement to Drive Tesla, Jolt confirmed these will be 25kW chargers, and that they will only be equipped with CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, although the company may add Tesla’s NACS in the future. Here is their full statement.
Charging speed:All JOLT chargers will be level 3 DC fast charging units. Currently we’re focusing on 25kW, however, depending on the requirements and use cases, there could be other charging speeds introduced. By charging for approximately 20 minutes on the 25kW JOLT chargers, Canadian drivers can receive 7kWh of energy for free every day which is around 50km of range. An average Canadian driver needs around 40km a day which we’re aiming to accommodate by providing free, fast and clean charging that covers more than this range every day.
Connector types:All JOLT charging units will provide both CCS and CHAdeMO plug types, facilitating most of the EV models available in Canada. As we consistently optimise our product and technology based on market changes and customer needs, we will be monitoring any further opportunities for further product optimisations as we progress.
According to Jolt’s website, the network will be powered by by 100% Canadian certified renewable energy, and feature both CCS and CHAdeMo connectors. There is no word yet on whether the company plans to add Tesla’s NACS connectors given its recent meteoric rise in becoming the charging standard in North America.
“We are excited to bring our free, fast, clean charging network to Canada to help Canadian drivers transition to EVs faster. Drivers can save approximately $1,000 annually by charging with Jolt. Availability of reliable, fast charging is a critical component of Canada’s transition to zero emission transport. We’re thrilled to partner with Telus who share our values with a focus on innovation to deliver best-in-class customer experiences,” said Doug McNamee, Chief Executive Officer, Jolt.
Jolt has already established a strong presence in Australia and recently expanded to New Zealand, collaborating with various government agencies, utilities, and private landowners to develop charging infrastructure.
