Montréal, March 6, 2014

The Montréal and Québec Auto Shows Answers to questions asked at the Electric Circuit’s stand

During the Montréal and Québec Car Shows, Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Vice President – Public and Government Affairs at Hydro-Québec, answers questions asked by visitors to the Electric Circuit stand.

Will more charging stations be available in Québec City?

Question asked by Catherine Barthe from Québec City.

What are the financial benefits of electric vehicles?

In Québec, it will cost you about nine times less to run a vehicle on electricity instead of gas.

Which models of electric vehicles are currently on the market?

First, we need to distinguish between all-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and extended range electric vehicles.

All-electric vehicles have one battery-powered electric motor. Plug-in hybrid vehicles are equipped with both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Which engine is required at any given time is based on what the car is being used for.

Extended range electric vehicles only have an electric motor but they have a combustion generator that supplies electricity to the motor when the battery is running low.

The term plug-in electric vehicle, abbreviated PEV, refers to these three types of technology.

The following PEV models are available on the market in 2014:

• Fisker Karma
• Ford C-MAX Energi
• Ford Focus Electric
• Ford Fusion hybrid
• Mitsubishi i-MiEVs
• Nissan Leaf
• Plug-in Toyota Prius
• S by Tesla
• Smart Fortwo Electric

What is the driving range of electric vehicles?

The driving range of electric vehicles varies based on the model. There is a partial or total electric solution for every need and every type of traveler.

What is the price of an electric vehicle charging station that is installed at home?

Basic 240-V charging stations that can be installed at a driver’s home are available from $600. Of that amount, drivers will receive a tax refund for 50% of the cost of the charging station, up to $1,000. The government also provides financial incentives of up to $8,000 on the purchase of an electric vehicle. For more information, visit the Québec government’s site vehiculeselectriques.gouv.qc.ca/english.

How do I sign up for the Electric Circuit’s public charging network?

Drivers of electric vehicles can obtain an access card for the public charging network from the Electric Circuit Web site: www.thelectriccircuit.com.

How much does it cost to charge an electric vehicle on the Electric Circuit public charging network?
Electric vehicle owners do most of their charging at home where their car is parked for long periods. Public charging provided by the partners of the Electric Circuit, the first public charging network for electric vehicles, is therefore a backup charging service for drivers.

It costs $2.50 to charge an electric vehicle at an Electric Circuit station, regardless of charging duration. Companies that decide to offer this service to their customers must acquire more robust charging stations than those reserved for home use. In addition, they must be safely installed in a public parking lot. Electric Circuit charging stations are equipped with an electronic payment system. The Circuit’s member companies must incur data and cell phone fees, in addition to paying the full cost of the electricity used.

In addition to the charging stations, the following services are also available:

• A 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Québec
• A charging station locator service
• The theelectriccircuit.com Web site, where users can manage their accounts

All of the above services are provided for a flat fee of $2.50. This straightforward method is designed to provide an accessible public charging service to be used in addition to residential charging.

Will curbside charging be available in downtown Montréal?

Curbside charging stations will be installed in downtown Montréal as part of a pilot project to be launched in 2014. It will be a first anywhere in Canada.

Are quick-charge stations available?

So far, the Electric Circuit is the only public system in Québec to offer 400-V quick-charging. A first station was installed at the St-Hubert restaurant at 500, rue Albanel, in Boucherville. The deployment of these charging stations in Québec will continue based on the purchase and installation costs, as well as on market needs. The fast-charge service is complementary to the 240-V charging service and is only intended for all-electric vehicles with quick-charging capability. All plug-in electric vehicles available in North America can be charged using 240-V chargers.