At the opening of the Montreal International Auto Show, held January 18 to 27, 2013, Hydro-Quebec and the Electric Circuit’s founding partners presented findings for the self-proclaimed first electric vehicle (EV) public charging network in Quebec and Canada, following its first nine months of operation.
Statistics gathered at this time suggest users typically plug in their EVs for an average of 1.8 hours while running errands at a partner’s location, which roughly equals an additional 40km of power. While EV owners are advised to do most of their recharging at home and at work, the public charging infrastructure enables them to “fill up” on the road.
“The network is very effective as it allows EV owners to take advantage of a top-up service available at a uniform, competitive price,” said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, senior director Strategic Planning at Hydro-Quebec, on behalf of The Electric Circuit. “We are delighted that nearly two-thirds of EV drivers have an Electric Circuit card.”
The Electric Circuit currently serves the greater Quebec and Montreal areas, as well as Laval, Montérégie, Estrie, Laurentides, Lanaudière, Outaouais, Bas-St-Laurent and Chaudière-Appalaches. Discussions are in progress with Vermont and Ontario to expand the network outside the province. To meet the future demand for public charging stations, Hydro-Quebec has announced it is coordinating a second open request for proposals on behalf of the Electric Circuit.
Twenty new partners have since joined the Electric Circuit’s founding partners—Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, Rona, Metro and the Agence métropolitaine de transport—to offer this charging service to its customers, including:
• Aéroports de Montréal
• Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata
• Bishop's University
• CAA-Québec
• Cégep de Sherbrooke
• Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke
• Centre de santé et de services sociaux-Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Sherbrooke
• Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke
• City of Joliette
• City of Longueuil
• City of Montréal
• City of Rivière-Rouge
• City of Sherbrooke
• Discount Car & Truck Rentals
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
• First Capital Realty
• Place des Arts
• Saint-Laurent borough
• Sépaq
• Université de Sherbrooke
“The network is very effective as it allows EV owners to take advantage of a top-up service available at a uniform, competitive price,” said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, senior director Strategic Planning at Hydro-Quebec, on behalf of The Electric Circuit. “We are delighted that nearly two-thirds of EV drivers have an Electric Circuit card.”
The Electric Circuit currently serves the greater Quebec and Montreal areas, as well as Laval, Montérégie, Estrie, Laurentides, Lanaudière, Outaouais, Bas-St-Laurent and Chaudière-Appalaches. Discussions are in progress with Vermont and Ontario to expand the network outside the province. To meet the future demand for public charging stations, Hydro-Quebec has announced it is coordinating a second open request for proposals on behalf of the Electric Circuit.
Twenty new partners have since joined the Electric Circuit’s founding partners—Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, Rona, Metro and the Agence métropolitaine de transport—to offer this charging service to its customers, including:
• Aéroports de Montréal
• Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata
• Bishop's University
• CAA-Québec
• Cégep de Sherbrooke
• Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke
• Centre de santé et de services sociaux-Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Sherbrooke
• Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke
• City of Joliette
• City of Longueuil
• City of Montréal
• City of Rivière-Rouge
• City of Sherbrooke
• Discount Car & Truck Rentals
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
• First Capital Realty
• Place des Arts
• Saint-Laurent borough
• Sépaq
• Université de Sherbrooke