The Société des établissements de plein air du Québec joins The Electric Circuit

The founding partners of The Electric Circuit—Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, RONA, METRO, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) and Hydro-Québec—are pleased to announce the signing of a partnership agreement with the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq) to install seven public charging stations for electric vehicles over the next few weeks. Two will be installed at the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, one at the Aquarium du Québec, another at the Station touristique Duchesnay, and one each at Mont-Saint-Bruno, Îles-de-Boucherville and Oka national parks.

“I am pleased to notice that more and more government corporations and companies are committing to develop energy alternatives, which in turn encourages Quebecers to adopt them,” said Daniel Breton, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks. “At Sépaq, we are very proud of this agreement, which allows us to participate in the development of The Electric Circuit. Helping to make our establishments accessible to electric vehicles fits in perfectly with our mission,” added Sépaq’s President and CEO, Raymond Desjardins.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Sépaq as The Electric Circuit’s newest member,” said Hydro-Québec’s Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Senior Director – Strategic Planning, speaking on behalf of The Electric Circuit’s founding partners. “These charging stations will provide nature lovers access, in the short term, to a number of Québec national parks and resort centres thanks to their plug-in EVs.”

The Electric Circuit

The Electric Circuit is a major milestone in the rollout of the charging infrastructure needed to support the arrival of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) in Québec. It is pursuing its expansion throughout several Québec regions.

More than eighty 240-volt Electric Circuit stations are already available in parking lots of the AMT, as well as those of many RONA hardware stores, Metro grocery stores and St-Hubert Restaurants in the greater Montréal and Québec areas. Since its launch on March 30, 2012, 16 private and institutional partners have joined The Electric Circuit. More than 150 charging stations will be available in Québec by the end of 2012. After that, the roll-out of 240-V and 400-V charging stations, which allow for quicker charging, will be deployed to meet charging needs as more electric vehicles hit Québec roads.

EV owners do most of their recharging at home and at work, but drivers can travel worry free, knowing they can top up their batteries on the road if they need to. Electric Circuit users also have access to a 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Québec, as well as a charging station locator service. Of course, The Electric Circuit Web site, www.theelectriccircuit.com, is updated as new stations are installed or commissioned.

About Sépaq

Sépaq is a government corporation that manages a vast network of parks, wildlife reserves and tourist resorts with a view to sustainable development. Its almost 80,000 km² of territory and tourism facilities constitutes a collective natural and cultural heritage that makes Quebecers proud. Sépaq’s fleet of plug-in electric vehicles is among the largest in the province.