Montréal, June 20, 2016

A fast-charge corridor along highway 20 between Montréal and Mont-Joli

As the largest international convention of electric vehicles, EVS29, takes place in Montréal this week, Québec Premier Philippe Couillard announced that a fast-charge corridor will be completed along Highway 20, one of Québec’s busiest corridors. To mark the occasion, the Premier was joined by Hydro-Québec’s President and CEO, Éric Martel, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Plan Nord, Pierre Arcand, and Jacques Daoust, Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification.

The Electric Circuit has signed agreements with the Belle Québécoise restaurant in Daveluyville as well as the Tim Hortons in Laurier Station, which will each install a fast-charge station for electric vehicles. These charging stations are in addition to those already in service in Sainte-Julie, Drummondville and Lévis. A sixth charging station will be available this fall at the St-Hubert restaurant in St-Hyacinthe.

Later this year, a second phase of Highway 20 electrification will be completed between Québec and Mont-Joli, with the addition of fast-charge stations in Montmagny, Rivière-du-Loup, Trois-Pistoles and Rimouski. Charging stations are already in service in La Pocatière and Mont-Joli. The charging stations will be manufactured by the Electric Circuit’s supplier, Québec-based AddÉnergie.

“Québec has all the elements needed for the development of electric vehicles. Sound public finances that instill investor confidence. Québec know-how, which is being developed at the college and university levels and in our research centres. As a result, we have a talented pool of manufacturers, component assemblers and integrators who are specialized in electric transportation. By developing our network of charging stations, we are advancing this industry, which is poised to be a strong vehicle for growth in Québec in coming years,” said the Premier.

“The addition of these charging stations ensures safe travel along one of Québec’s busiest highways. It will provide added incentive to drivers who take Highway 20 for personal and business-related travel to purchase an electric vehicle, and thus bring us closer to the ambitious target set in our Transportation Electrification Plan, of having 100,000 electric and hybrid vehicles registered in Québec by 2020,” said Minister Daoust.

“The electrification of Highway 20 ties in perfectly with the energy transition we embarked on through our ambitious 2030 Energy Policy announced on April 7. This policy aims to offer choices to consumers while fostering concrete behavioral changes. In addition to reducing oil consumption by 40%, it will allow us to build a strong, diverse and low-carbon footprint,” said Minister Arcand.

“The Electric Circuit and its partners are making a significant contribution to electrifying transportation and making Québec roads more accessible for electric vehicles. And Hydro-Québec has what it takes to contribute to this trend with our clean, renewable energy and our recognized expertise,” added Éric Martel, president and CEO of Hydro-Québec.


About the Transportation Electrification Action Plan 2015-2020

Today’s announcement is in line with the Transportation Electrification Action Plan 2015–2020. By focussing on transportation electrification, Québec, which has clean energy available in large quantities and at a competitive cost, will be a leader in the use of electric-powered means of transportation and a forerunner in the realm of sustainable mobility.

To learn more about the Transportation Electrification Action Plan 2015-2020, go to transportselectriques.gouv.qc.ca.


About the Electric Circuit

The Electric Circuit is the largest public charging network in Québec. It is a major initiative providing the charging infrastructure required to support the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in Québec. The network comprises over 670 public charging stations, including 32 fast-charge stations, in operation across 16 Québec regions. Since its launch in March 2012, 145 private and institutional partners have joined the Electric Circuit, and the network now has over 8,300 members.Electric Circuit users have access to a 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Québec, as well as a charging-station locator service. The Electric Circuit Web site, theelectriccircuit.com, and the mobile app for iOS and Android are updated as new stations are commissioned. The Electric Circuit card also allows users to access the 150 Québec charging stations of FLO (formerly the VERnetwork).

Status of the fast-charge stations between Montréal and Mont-Joli

Information:

Louis-Olivier Batty
Press Officer
Hydro-Québec, for the Electric Circuit
514 289-4214