It’s getting easier to drive electric, even in Hemmingford!

by Jeff Turner (April 2018)

Priest Construction’s Chevy Volt plugged into the charge station they recently installed at the author’s home. Priest Construction has also installed fast charge stations at several malls around Montreal.

With transportation accounting for over 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec, electric vehicles (EVs) represent an excellent opportunity to tackle climate change in our province, shifting from imported fossil fuel based energy sources to locally generated electricity that is almost entirely carbon free. EVs also provide a number of direct benefits to their owners:

  • They’re very cheap to run, with electricity here costing about the equivalent of $0.20 per liter.
  • They’re almost maintenance free, with no need for oil changes and less wear and tear on the brakes thanks to regenerative braking.
  • They can be charged at home, letting you wake up to a full charge every morning.

All that said, while Quebec now has about 25,000 EVs on the road, they only represent about 2% of new car sales – not bad, but lots of room to grow! There are a number of barriers impeding the adoption of electric vehicles, but the federal and provincial governments are taking concrete steps to address these barriers.

A lack of public charging stations is often the first concern that comes to mind, although there are reasons why this shouldn’t be a problem:

  • With most charging happening at home, and with the province providing grants for businesses to install charging stations for their employees, most daily driving can be done without any need for detours to public charging stations.
  • Plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt, Honda Clarity, and the made-in-Canada Chrysler Pacifica minivan, offer electric mode driving up to a certain distance (85km, 77km, and 53km, respectively) with a gas engine that starts automatically once the battery is empty, enabling long trips just like any gas powered car.

But for those who want to make the leap to a fully electric vehicle, like the Hyundai Ioniq (200km range), Nissan Leaf (242km) or Chevy Bolt (383km) and still be able to make longer trips, public charging infrastructure is essential. Fortunately a number of government and utility programs have deployed hundreds of fast charging stations in Quebec and across Canada. These can charge a typical EV up to about 80% in 30 minutes. Hydro Quebec has deployed over 100 of these stations around the province, including up to the Laurentians, along the north and south shores of the Saint Laurence, around the Gaspé peninsula, and into eastern Ontario. The federal government, meanwhile, has supported the installation of dozens more of these stations in BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This year, they announced a further $80M to help complete a continuous network from coast to coast.

The higher purchase price of EVs is also a challenge. Even though annual fuel savings of $1000-$2000 can help make up the difference in the long run, it can be a challenge for some to prioritize those long term savings over the initial outlay required. Fortunately, the Quebec government currently offers an $8000 rebate for the purchase of an EV which can help narrow the gap considerably.

Despite all of these barriers, demand for EVs in Quebec appears to be outstripping supply. Wait lists of 6 months or longer are common for some models, and while some early adopters may be willing to wait, this can certainly be a barrier for more mainstream customers who are less committed. To address this, Quebec enacted a law in early 2018 that now requires automakers to sell a minimum number of EVs each year, similar to rules used in California and 9 other states. This should help to ensure that dealerships in Quebec have a ready supply of EVs so that you can take one out for a test drive if you’re curious, and take one home the same day if you like it!

This map shows the fast charge stations currently available in eastern Canada, offering an 80% charge in 30 minutes. The majority of these stations were built by AddÉnergie at their factory in Shawinigan.