New pilot project aims to cut cost, complexity and space requirements for public DC fast-charging projects with step-down service directly from the grid

For all the attention paid to charger speeds, battery range and EV adoption targets, one of the biggest obstacles to expanding public fast charging is often buried in the electrical design. In the City of Toronto, that challenge can be especially acute. Public DC fast-charging projects must contend with tight urban sites, layered construction timelines and the added cost of making equipment work with the local grid.

Toronto Hydro’s new Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Pilot Program is aimed squarely at that problem.

The initiative, announced on April 8 at the EV & Charging Expo 2026, is designed to simplify one specific but important part of the charging equation: voltage. Most DC fast chargers are built to operate at 480 volts, while utility-owned transformers, including Toronto Hydro’s, have typically delivered 600 volts.

Mismatched voltage

That mismatch has generally required charging providers to purchase, install and maintain their own step-down transformers before a site can go live. It’s not the most visible part of a charging project, but it can be one of the more expensive and time-consuming.

Toronto Hydro’s pilot changes that arrangement.

Through the program, the utility will offer up to 10 local projects access to utility-owned 480-volt transformers intended specifically for EV fast-charging applications. By delivering the required voltage directly from the distribution grid, the model removes the need for customer-owned step-down transformers altogether.

The benefit, at least on paper, is immediate: fewer components, less equipment on site and a simpler path from utility connection to charger installation.

‘Enabling outcomes for customers’

“Access to fast charging is essential, especially in urban areas where space, timeline, and costs can be real barriers,” said Jennifer Grado, VP, customer transformation at Toronto Hydro. “This pilot’s about doing more than just supplying electricity. It’s about enabling outcomes for customers.”

That framing matters. Utilities are increasingly being asked not just to provide power, but to help accelerate electrification in practical ways. In this case, Toronto Hydro is positioning itself less as a passive service provider and more as an active participant in EV infrastructure deployment.

Matthew Higgins, VP, engineering and asset management at Toronto Hydro, described the pilot as a more streamlined approach to a familiar technical constraint.

“By providing 480 volts directly, we eliminate the need for customer-owned step-down transformers altogether,” he said. “This approach, we hope, can help shorten construction schedules, simplify site layouts and improve overall project coordination.”

Easing build burdens

For charging developers, those are not minor gains. Reducing electrical footprint can free up valuable room for additional chargers or other site features. Cutting out a piece of customer-owned equipment can also ease procurement, design and maintenance burdens at a time when many charging projects are still wrestling with cost pressures.

There are limits, of course. The pilot is capped at 10 projects and applies to local public DC fast-charging developments that meet Toronto Hydro’s eligibility requirements. Customers will still be responsible for costs associated with the 480-volt transformer, including installation and charger connection, while Toronto Hydro will retain ownership and handle ongoing maintenance.

The program is expected to run through the end of 2027, giving the utility time to assess technical performance, customer experience and whether the model makes sense at a broader scale. That may be the bigger story here.

Toronto Hydro is not just testing a new piece of infrastructure — it’s testing a new role for the utility in urban electrification, one that is more responsive to how EV charging actually gets built. In a city where space is tight and charging demand is only heading in one direction, that kind of practical intervention could matter more than it first appears.