Canada needs 679,000 public charging ports by 2040. Today there are fewer than 40,000. Voltrise is the Black-owned operator closing the gap — from British Columbia to the Atlantic coast.
Natural Resources Canada commissioned Dunsky Energy + Climate to assess the scale of the deficit. The conclusion is unambiguous: Canada must install 40,000 new public charging ports every year between 2025 and 2040 to meet ZEV demand.
Zero-emission vehicle sales are mandated to reach 100% by 2035. The EV fleet grows from 480,000 vehicles today to 5 million by 2030 and 21 million by 2040. The charging network is running years behind.
The latest data from Natural Resources Canada, Dunsky Energy, and Paren's Q4 2025 State of Industry Report reveals the full scale of the infrastructure challenge — and the opportunity beneath it.
Approximately 38,000 public charging ports at ~14,500 station locations. A 24% increase year-over-year — still far behind the federal mandate.
Canada needs 679,000 public charging ports by 2040 to support 21 million ZEVs on the road — one port for every 31 vehicles. The gap stands at 641,000 ports.
40,000 new public charging ports per year, every year, from 2025 to 2040. In 2025, only ~6,200 were built — falling drastically short of target.
NRCan estimates the cumulative capital cost of new public charging infrastructure at $18 billion through 2040. Federal programs cover only a fraction — private operators must fill the gap.
Canada's EV-to-public-charger ratio stands at 26 EVs per charger as of late 2025. In high-adoption markets like BC, the ratio is far higher and deteriorating fast.
Canada's DC fast chargers averaged 93.2% reliability in Q4 2025. BC's Vancouver market saw DCFC utilization near 30% — signalling urgent need for more fast chargers.
A national survey released April 14, 2026 found that EV purchase intent among non-EV owners increased for the first time since 2022 — reversing a four-year decline and signalling a structural shift in Canadian consumer sentiment.
The average price of a new battery electric vehicle dropped 10.6% year-over-year, and overall new EV prices fell 6% YoY. Used EVs also declined 2.1% — making the switch more attainable across income brackets.
89% of respondents cited fuel savings and efficiency as their primary reason for considering an EV. Canada's renewed federal rebate program — a $2.3B commitment announced February 2026 — was also a major factor.
British Columbia recorded the largest absolute jump in EV interest of any province, reaching 60% consideration. Voltrise's Phase 1 launch in Vancouver and Kamloops targets Canada's most EV-ready market at exactly the right moment.
The rebound was national, not regional — every province except Alberta showed growth. Atlantic Canada's underserved charging network combined with rising intent creates the conditions Voltrise's Phase 3 expansion is built to serve.
Source · AutoTrader Canada EV Survey, April 2026, as reported by MobileSyrup. Provincial figures represent consideration rates.
Ontario and Quebec together hold 67% of all charging ports. BC adds another 20%. The remaining provinces — including all of Atlantic Canada — are critically underserved and represent the highest-priority expansion zones.
Canadians have long accepted volatile fuel prices as a fact of life. Clean Energy Canada calculates that charging an EV is equivalent to paying just $0.40 per litre for gasoline — at a time when Canadians are paying around $1.97 nationally, and over $2.00 in British Columbia, even with a federal fuel-tax holiday in effect through September 2026. With 40–50% lower maintenance costs, the internal combustion engine is fast becoming the expensive option.
National average gas price (NRCan) — and that's with the federal excise tax suspended. BC and Vancouver regularly exceed $2.00/L. A 60L tank costs ~$118 — every time.
What Clean Energy Canada calculates EV charging costs in gasoline-equivalent terms. Home charging in BC: ~$2/100km vs ~$20/100km for gas at today's prices.
Average Canadian EV owner saves $3,000+ per year on fuel alone vs. a gas vehicle. Over 10 years: $30,000+ in fuel savings.
| Vehicle | Type | Fuel / 100km | Annual fuel cost | vs. gas equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 (2.5L gas) | Gas ⛽ | 8.6 L | $3,061 | — |
| Toyota bZ4X (EV equivalent) | EV ⚡ | 18.3 kWh | $440 | Save $2,621/yr |
| Honda Civic (1.5T gas) | Gas ⛽ | 7.7 L | $2,741 | — |
| BYD Dolphin / Seal (equivalent) | EV ⚡ | 14.5 kWh | $348 | Save $2,393/yr |
| Ford F-150 (3.5L gas) | Gas ⛽ | 13.8 L | $4,913 | — |
| Ford F-150 Lightning (EV) | EV ⚡ | 27.7 kWh | $665 | Save $4,248/yr |
| Chevrolet Silverado (5.3L gas) | Gas ⛽ | 15.2 L | $5,411 | — |
| Chevrolet Silverado EV | EV ⚡ | 29.4 kWh | $706 | Save $4,705/yr |
Canada's 2026 trade framework opens a 49,000-vehicle quota for Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles — affordable, technologically advanced, and ready to scale. The charging network must scale with them.
World's largest EV maker. The Dolphin and Seal compete head-on with Tesla on range and price — at 25–30% lower cost.
Targeting Q3 2026 launchPremium EVs with battery-swap technology. Direct competitor to Mercedes EQ and BMW i-series in the urban premium segment.
Vancouver pilotADAS-leading EVs with Tesla-grade autonomy at half the price. P7 and G6 are confirmed for Canadian homologation.
Federal approval pendingOwns Volvo and Polestar. Brings established Canadian distribution, dealer network, and service infrastructure overnight.
Active in CanadaCanada matches US 100% tariff on Chinese EVs, freezing imports and creating a regulatory holding pattern.
Canada–China bilateral talks produce a managed-quota framework: 49,000 vehicles permitted in 2026, scaling annually.
BYD, NIO and XPeng prepare for staged Canadian launch through Vancouver and Halifax ports. Provincial homologation begins.
Quota scales to ~150,000 vehicles by 2028. Chinese EVs reshape Canada's under-$40K segment, accelerating mainstream adoption.
Voltrise begins in Canada's most EV-ready market — British Columbia — where consumer intent leads the nation and charger utilization is already at breaking point.
Canada's highest EV adoption rate. 30% DCFC utilization. The proving ground for the Voltrise network.
The strategic corridor between Vancouver and the Rockies. Highway-corridor charging for BC's growing EV fleet.
Atlantic Canada holds just 2% of Canada's public ports despite rising EV interest. Phase 3 of the Voltrise rollout brings high-quality charging infrastructure to four underserved provinces — beginning in our New Brunswick home.
Home province. Highway 2 corridor sites. Provincial partnership signed Q1 2026.
Halifax metro & Cabot Trail. Tourism-grade fast charging by Q2 2027.
Confederation Bridge to Charlottetown. Island-wide coverage targeted by 2027.
The Trans-Canada gap. St. John's to Port aux Basques charging by 2028.
Voltrise is partnering with a leading battery-integrated charging technology provider to remove the two biggest obstacles to fast-charger deployment: utility grid upgrades and long construction timelines.
New sites can go live in weeks rather than years, using power already available on site — no lengthy construction projects required.
Quick deploymentOnboard energy storage means fast charging without costly utility upgrades — keeping installation simple and operating costs down.
Low costA modular, compact design lets us grow a site's charging capacity over time — and relocate stations easily as demand evolves.
Flexible & scalableRemote monitoring and over-the-air updates keep every charger running at peak performance, with issues resolved before drivers notice.
Remote managementBuilt-in battery backup keeps charging available even when the local grid is under strain — reliability drivers and fleets can count on.
Grid resiliencyFrom everyday drivers to commercial fleet operators, this technology helps us bring reliable fast charging to more communities, faster.
For everyoneVoltrise is raising Phase 1 capital and recruiting site partners across BC and Atlantic Canada. If you own commercial real estate near a highway, a high-traffic retail corridor, or a fleet depot — we want to hear from you.