Montréal, December 12, 2012
Press Release
The City of Joliette 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 confirm the signature of a partnership agreement with the City of Joliette to install public charging stations for electric vehicles. They will be installed in the coming weeks in the city's downtown area.
The mayor of Joliette, René Laurin, is proud of this addition. "The City of Joliette already has five public charging stations in its downtown core and this agreement will bring that number to seven. That’s exceptional for a city of our size. By joining The Electric Circuit, a greater number of drivers will be able to fill up with clean energy in our city," said the mayor. Joliette has a population of nearly 20,000 citizens. The city set itself apart in February when it became the first municipality in Québec to install a network of public charging stations.
"We are very pleased to welcome Joliette to The Electric Circuit," said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Senior Director – Strategic Planning at Hydro-Québec, speaking on behalf of The Electric Circuit’s founding partners. "It is a dynamic community and the addition of these charging stations in Joliette will continue to diversify the network’s service offering by bringing it to Lanaudière, an important region to us."
The Electric Circuit
The Electric Circuit is a major milestone in the rollout of charging infrastructure needed to support the arrival of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) in Québec.
By the end of the year, more than one hundred fifty 240-volt Electric Circuit stations will be available in parking lots of the AMT, as well as those of many RONA hardware stores, Métro grocery stores and St-Hubert Restaurants throughout Québec. Since its launch in March 2012, 18 private and institutional partners have joined The Electric Circuit. It will continue to expand in order to offer the greatest geographical coverage and serve the largest number of EV drivers in many Québec regions.
While EV owners do most of their charging at home and at work, 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. The Electric Circuit Web site, www.theelectriccircuit.com, is updated as new stations are installed or commissioned.
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For information:
Mathieu Rouy
Hydro-Québec for The Electric Circuit
514 289.2311