Showcasing electric mobility

Highlighting the pros of driving electric

Last April, the Electric Circuit teamed up with the Association des véhicules électriques du Québec (AVÉQ), a provincial organization for the promotion of electric vehicles, for the Relais électrique: a province-wide tour aimed at introducing electric mobility to Quebecers. At each stop, members of the public were invited to meet the experts, test drive EVs and get accurate information about charging. The awareness-raising initiative offered personalized support on every topic of interest, from buying an electric vehicle to day-to-day use. By late 2022, the Relais électrique had reached some 3,000 people and resulted in 1,500 test drives.

Improved access to charging networks

To ensure a seamless public charging experience throughout North America, the Electric Circuit is working to boost compatibility between different networks. Extended coverage agreements let the members of one network access the charging stations of all partnering operators without having to create a separate account or subscription.

Arrangements of this kind have been in place for years between the Electric Circuit, FLO (Canada/U.S.) and the eCharge Network (New Brunswick). Now, through ChargeHub—an interoperability platform— the Electric Circuit has simplified access to over 60,000 charging stations in the ChargePoint, RechargÉco (IGA supermarkets), SemaConnect, Shell Recharge and SWTCH networks. More networks are expected to come on board soon.

More complementary services

To better serve its members while encouraging local businesses, the Electric Circuit is inviting merchants across Québec to offer discounts, exclusive products and packages directly on its Marketplace platform, a new feature on the Electric Circuit mobile app. Concentrated around charging sites, these offers are designed to make “refill” stops more attractive for drivers.

Level 2 (7-kW standard) charging stations are part of the Electric Circuit network, but do not belong to Hydro-Québec. To boost partner numbers and speed the expansion of the public charging fleet, the Electric Circuit now lets station owners set their own rates, though within certain parameters designed to keep pricing competitive.

Fast-charge rates are set by the Québec government under provincial regulations established in 2018. As a result, 50-kW+ fast-charge stations are subject to tiered pricing, depending on the power supplied. This is to better match the price paid with energy supplied, improve equity between different vehicle charging profiles and make charging more efficient so as to reduce wait times and better distribute user traffic.

Electrifying commercial transport

We are on the brink of a massive influx of heavy-duty electric vehicles on our roads. The electrification of different models of trucks, which account for 30% of GHG emissions in the road transport sector, will significantly reduce emissions.

In 2022, Hydro-Québec carried out its first tests of commercial vehicle public charging in view of adapting the network to future demand. After identifying the best charging locations, we approached potential partners. In October, a first dedicated charging station for heavy vehicles was put into service in Laval, with more to be rolled out in 2023.

Cleo makes inroads into the EV fleet market

In 2022, to accelerate and simplify the electrification of light-, medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, Hydro-Québec introduced a range of charging solutions for EV fleets. The positive market response led to the creation of our subsidiary Cleo to oversee the commercialization of such services.

Designed to meet the current and future needs of fleet operators, Cleo’s solutions include a turnkey charging service with a customizable charging infrastructure. The service also offers full operation and maintenance support along with a smart platform for dynamic charging management that’s compatible with most EVs and charging stations currently on the market.

Cleo’s team keeps charging operations reliable by providing impartial expertise and personalized guidance. Its customers include pioneers in school bus electrification, such as Autobus Groupe Séguin (Laval) and Groupe Autocar Jeannois (Alma), as well as First Student, North America’s biggest student transportation provider.

Since its launch on March 30, 2012—a time when few saw the point of installing charging stations in public places—the Electric Circuit has grown into one the most reliable, extensive EV public charging networks in North America.

Today, the network serves all of Québec’s regions as well as parts of eastern Ontario. Unique in Canada in terms of its range and structure, the Electric Circuit is a trailblazer whose presence has resulted in nearly half of all EVs in Canada being driven in Québec.