Smart EV Charging: Frequently Asked Questions

Elocity is a Canadian Smart Electric Vehicle Charging Technology Company founded in 2018 and based in Toronto, Ontario. Elocity provides end-to-end EV charging infrastructure that combines utility-grade HIEV chargers, OCPP-certified HIEV CPMS software, and intelligent load management. The platform connects utilities, buildings, fleets, site hosts, and EV drivers, with the goal of maximizing EV charging per dollar invested while protecting grid assets.

Elocity is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, and operates in more than 12 countries across four continents. In Canada, its EV charging solutions serve multi-residential buildings, workplaces, public charging sites, fleets, and utilities, with deployments across more than 600 multi-residential sites. Its Canadian customers and partners include SHAPE, Cadillac Fairview, Tridel, Burlington Hydro, Toronto Hydro, Milton Hydro, and EnerFORGE.

Elocity has more than eight years of experience delivering smart EV charging solutions, with over 12,000 chargers deployed across more than 12 countries. Its experience includes the world’s largest utility-led EV charging program, involving more than 8,000 chargers, and deployments across more than 600 multi-residential sites.

Major projects include Richmond Centre in British Columbia, with 1,212 Level 2 chargers and 8 MW of managed load, recognized as a 2026 Canada’s Clean50 Top Project, alongside another major multi-residential deployment comprising 1,042 chargers.

Elocity works with utilities and energy companies including Toronto Hydro, Burlington Hydro, Milton Hydro, and EnerFORGE, an Oshawa Power company.

In real estate, its customers and project partners include SHAPE, Cadillac Fairview, Tridel, Concord Pacific, Westbank, Menkes, Hazelview, and Skyline Apartment REIT.

Elocity offers the HIEV Series of utility-grade EV chargers, including Level 2 chargers for residential, multi-unit residential, workplace, and commercial parking. Charger configuration, including amperage and features, is selected to match each site's electrical capacity and usage requirements. All HIEV chargers are managed through Elocity's HIEV CPMS software.

Level 2 charging supplies alternating current (AC), typically at 208 or 240 volts, which the vehicle’s onboard charger converts to direct current (DC) to charge the battery. It is well suited to homes, condominiums, apartments, workplaces, and fleet depots where vehicles park for several hours or overnight.

DC fast charging supplies direct current to the vehicle’s battery, bypassing the onboard AC charger and enabling higher charging power. It is suited to highway corridors, public charging hubs, and fleet operations that need shorter charging stops.

The right option depends on how long vehicles stay parked, their charging capabilities, daily energy needs, and the site’s available electrical capacity.

Yes. Elocity's HIEV Level 2 chargers support sub-metering that complies with Measurement Canada requirements, so electricity used for EV charging can be measured and billed to individual users. This allows condominium corporations, rental buildings, and site hosts to recover charging costs from the drivers who use them rather than distributing them across all owners or tenants.

HIEV Level 2 chargers are designed to work with the standard charging connectors used by electric vehicles sold in North America. Vehicles with a different connector type can typically charge using a manufacturer-supplied or certified adapter. Elocity can confirm connector options for a specific HIEV model during project design.

HIEV CPMS is Elocity's Charge Point Management Software. It is the platform used to monitor and control HIEV chargers, manage driver access, apply load management, track energy use, and support billing and reporting. Property managers, fleet operators, site hosts, and utilities use HIEV CPMS to operate EV charging across one site or a portfolio of sites from a single platform.

OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) is an open communication standard maintained by the Open Charge Alliance that defines how EV chargers communicate with management software. OCPP certification matters because it confirms that a charger or software platform has been independently tested against the standard, which supports interoperability and reduces the risk of vendor lock-in. Elocity's software is OCPP-certified.

Elocity's software is all-inclusive. Intelligent load management is part of HIEV CPMS and is not charged as a separate add-on or surcharge. Software and services are provided on an annual subscription basis.

Elocity applies information security controls to HIEV CPMS. Building owners and operators can request details of Elocity's security certifications and data residency practices as part of procurement or due diligence.

EV load management is the use of software to control how much electrical power each EV charger draws so that total charging demand stays within a building's or site's available electrical capacity. Instead of sizing infrastructure for every charger operating at full power at the same time, load management shares available capacity across connected vehicles. This allows more chargers to be installed on existing electrical service.

Static load management assigns each charger a fixed share of the available capacity. Rotational load management cycles power between chargers in turn, so each vehicle charges for a set interval before power moves to the next. Dynamic load management continuously measures building or site demand and adjusts charger power in real time, using capacity that would otherwise go unused. The appropriate method depends on the site's electrical capacity, number of chargers, and driver usage patterns.

In many buildings, yes. By keeping total EV charging demand within the capacity of the existing electrical service, load management can reduce or defer the need for transformer or service upgrades. Whether an upgrade can be avoided depends on the building's electrical capacity, existing loads, and the number of chargers planned, which is determined through a site assessment.

Often, yes. Most multi-unit residential buildings were not designed for widespread EV charging, but intelligent load management allows many chargers to share existing electrical capacity. Elocity has delivered the largest MURB smart EV charging project in Canada and North America, with 1,212 chargers, using this approach. A site assessment confirms how many chargers a specific building can support.

In Ontario, EV charging in condominiums is governed by the Condominium Act, 1998 and Ontario Regulation 48/01. The regulation sets out a process for owners to apply to install EV charging equipment and requires the condominium corporation to respond within set timelines. Corporations can also choose to install shared EV charging infrastructure for owners. Boards should obtain advice from their condominium lawyer and property manager on the approvals that apply to their building.

In British Columbia, EV charging in stratas is governed by the Strata Property Act and its regulations, which include provisions supporting EV charging installation and electrical planning for strata buildings. Strata councils should review the current requirements, including any electrical planning report obligations, and obtain advice from their strata manager and legal counsel before proceeding.

With HIEV CPMS, each driver's charging sessions are linked to their account, so energy use can be tracked and billed to the individual user. Combined with sub-metering, this allows buildings to apply a user-pay model in which drivers pay for the electricity they use, rather than spreading charging costs across all owners or tenants.

An EV-ready parking space has the electrical infrastructure in place, typically an energized circuit ending at or near the space, so a Level 2 charger can be connected later without major construction. EV-ready design lets developers and building owners prepare for future demand at a lower cost than retrofitting. Elocity is currently delivering the largest EV-ready project in Canada, comprising 2,009 EV-ready parking spaces.

Yes. Elocity supports commercial properties, workplaces, retail locations, and other site hosts with HIEV chargers and HIEV CPMS software. Site hosts can control who can charge, set access rules, track usage, and apply load management to keep charging within the site's electrical capacity.

Smart charging lets fleet operators schedule charging around vehicle duty cycles and electricity rates, for example by charging overnight when time-of-use rates are lower, and by managing peak demand at the depot. HIEV CPMS provides visibility into charger status and energy use across the fleet, supporting operational planning and cost control.

Elocity works with utilities and energy companies, including Toronto Hydro, Burlington Hydro, Milton Hydro, and EnerFORGE, an Oshawa Power company, to support EV charging programs. Its smart charging platform provides centralized monitoring, charging management, and intelligent load management to help balance EV charging demand with available electrical capacity.

Elocity also supports utility innovation through initiatives such as its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot with Burlington Hydro, exploring how EV batteries can support energy management and grid flexibility.

Managed charging, also called V1G or smart charging, controls when and how fast vehicles charge so that charging demand can be shifted away from grid peaks. Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) goes further by allowing a compatible vehicle to send stored energy back to the grid or a building. V1G is in wide use today; V2G depends on compatible vehicles, chargers, standards, and utility programs.

Pricing is provided by quotation. Hardware pricing varies by charger amperage and features, and overall project cost depends on site conditions, the number of chargers, and installation requirements. Elocity's software is all-inclusive, with no separate surcharge for load management. Contact Elocity for a site-specific proposal.

No. The products shown on the Elocity website are a catalogue for reference. Elocity solutions are designed and quoted for each site, so purchases are made through Elocity's sales team rather than an online checkout. Contact Elocity to discuss your project.

Elocity offers capital purchase, in which the building owner or site host owns the charging equipment, and Charging-as-a-Service (CaaS), in which charging is delivered as a service with less upfront capital. The appropriate model depends on the owner's budget, ownership preferences, and how charging costs will be recovered from users.

Federal, provincial, and utility programs may help fund EV charging infrastructure. Natural Resources Canada's Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) has funded charging for multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces, fleets, and public sites, and some provinces and utilities run their own programs. Funding availability and intake windows change, so applicants should confirm current program status before planning around an incentive.

A typical project includes a site assessment of electrical capacity and parking layout, system design and load management configuration, a proposal, installation by licensed electrical contractors, commissioning, and onboarding to HIEV CPMS for building managers and drivers. Timelines depend on site size, approvals, and equipment lead times.

After commissioning, chargers are monitored and managed through HIEV CPMS, and Elocity provides ongoing technical support for hardware and software. Support terms, including response times and warranty coverage, are set out in each customer agreement.

Contact Elocity through the website to request a consultation. Elocity will review your site, number of parking spaces, and charging goals, and recommend a configuration of HIEV chargers, HIEV CPMS software, and load management suited to your building, fleet, or site.