Background.
Ivy Charging Network, in partnership with ONroute, Canadian Tire Corporation, and the MTO, is on a mission to reshape electric travel in Ontario. With EV adoption accelerating, reliable and fast highway charging has become a critical piece of the infrastructure puzzle. In 2025, Ivy undertook a major expansion upgrading 11 ONroute sites to bring the next generation of fast charging closer to drivers in Ontario.
The 11 ONroute sites include: Innisfil, King City, Cambridge North & South, Trenton North & South, Port Hope, Mallorytown North & South, Odessa, Napanee. Construction is on track for completion by November 1, 2025.
The challenge.
- Maintain service continuity with minimal disruption: Since ONroute rest stops support high traffic and critical traveler services, we had to minimize disruption by sequencing the work in phases (starting winter 2025), rerouting customer flows and coordinating with site operations.
- Weather constraints: Groundwork, concrete, trenching, electrical work, and utility coordination all had to contend with Canada’s harsh winters.
- Coordinating multiple stakeholders: With ONroute, Canadian Tire, MTO, utility and vendor providers, project timelines and responsibilities needed careful alignment.
- Maintaining saftey and compliance standards: Upgrades required adherence to electrical codes and site safety regulations while keeping ONroute plazas open and safe for travelers during construction.
- Technical calibration: New, more powerful chargers require firmware updates and monitoring.
The solution.
To successfully deliver these upgrades, Ivy adopted a phased rollout strategy that grouped sites into batches and prioritized them based on traffic, charger usage, and logistical readiness. This approach ensured crews could work efficiently while minimizing disruption across neighboring ONroute locations. Once sites were prioritized, preparation and construction work began.
After the groundwork was complete, the new fast-charging units were installed and integrated into Ivy’s backend network for monitoring. Throughout construction, Ivy maintained a strong focus on customer communication providing updates through the Ivy app, signage on site, and through our support line.
The results.
Early users have noted smoother plug-in experience, fewer downtime events, and beneficial connector flexibility:
“Great stop. Went from 22% to 88% in 30 minutes. Just the right amount of time for a bathroom break and some lunch. Would use these chargers again.” - Plugshare user
“New chargers are better. I only needed one hand to plug the CCS connector. And nice and fast too.” - PlugShare user
Looking ahead.
These upgrades mark a milestone in Ivy’s vision of enabling seamless EV travel across Ontario by delivering capacity, speed, and reliability enhancements where they matter most. As Ontario’s EV adoption continues to grow, this ONroute expansion lays stronger foundations for what comes next.
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