Quebec puts 2 million into a terminal project for “charging orphans”

Photo: Jacques Nadeau Archives Le Devoir Hydro-Québec will test 34 double charging stations intended for owners of electric vehicles who do not have access to a charging station at their home.

The Canadian Press in Quebec

April 10, 2024

• Quebec

Quebec allocates nearly $2 million for the implementation of a pilot project aimed at increasing the supply of charging stations for electric vehicles for people who do not have a terminal at home house and heavy transport.

As part of this pilot project, Hydro-Québec will test 34 double charging stations intended for “charging orphans”, i.e. owners of electric vehicles who do not have access to a charging station at their home.

Modulated pricing for night charging will also be tested during this pilot project. According to the government, this provision could be favorable to residents of dense neighborhoods.

Three fast charging stations for heavy vehicles will also be put into service as part of this project, which must be deployed by March 31, 2025. These will be installed near industrial parks, the place where the first electric trucks in operation are expected.

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As part of its 2023-2030 Quebec Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy, the government aims for the Quebec public network to have 110,000 level 2 terminals and 6,700 fast charging stations by 2030.

Last week, the Electric Circuit organization, from Hydro-Québec, announced a change to the pricing of the terminals currently in service.

The use of fast charging stations is now billed according to the quantity of electricity supplied to the vehicle, measured in kilowatt hours (kWh), or per hour from the moment the power supplied by the station passes under 10 or 20 kilowatts, depending on the type of terminal.