Maine–Québec Electric Vehicle Corridor Initiative

[Robert.Boston]

This could be important:

Governor LePage and Quebec Premier Couillard Announce Electric Vehicle Corridor Initiative

The electric vehicle corridor initiative, announced today in Quebec City, will build a public-private partnership to increase electric vehicle charging stations for travel between Quebec and Portland and assess the feasibility of additional charging stations to improve transit to other tourist locations in Maine.

 

[Gwgan]

What/who is Drive Electric Maine?

A bit more info at Maine and Quebec to develop electric car charging network - The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

 

[Gwgan]

Stumbled across minutes from a June 22nd Efficiency Maine Trust meeting http://www.efficiencymaine.com/docs/EMT-Board-Minutes-6.22.2016.pdf where the corridor was discussed.

Some funds were not spent in time and are being allocated elsewhere with an understanding they will return later.

Mr. Stoddard explained that a portion of the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) annual allotment of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) State Energy Program (SEP) funding was earmarked for work on the Quebec-Maine Electric Vehicle (Qc-ME EV) Initiative. The GEO has determined that it will not be able to expend these funds by the June 30 deadline. In order to satisfy the DOE expenditure requirements, it is an allowable use of the federal funds for GEO to transfer the funding to EMT’s Revolving Loan Fund, which is used to finance qualifying home weatherization projects.
Mr. Stoddard noted that EMT’s Triennial Plan III includes a commitment to exploring transportation issues, and said that involvement in the Qc-ME EV Initiative is consistent with those goals.
ACTION: Upon a motion duly made (Mr. Boyles) and seconded (Mr. Hodsdon), the Board voted unanimously to authorize the Trust to accept the transfer of $90,000 in U.S. DOE State Energy Program funds for use in the Revolving Loan Fund, and to acknowledge an understanding in principle that the Trust will commit a similar amount of funding toward the Quebec-Maine EV Initiative, consistent with the FY2017 Budget and the Triennial Plan, as approved. Ms. Smith abstained from the vote.

…
Seven fast charging sites will be sought, first along ME Route 201. There seems to be a little confusion about the charging “standards”, such as they are.

ii. REPORT on the Quebec-Maine EV Task Force
Ms. Smith presented an overview of the Quebec-Maine Electric Vehicle (Qc- ME EV) Task Force. She explained that the government of Quebec has a $3 million plan to electrify the transportation sector, with the goal of incentivizing the purchase of 100,000 EVs by the end of 2020. Given that Canadians represent the largest share of Maine’s tourism traffic, the Governor and Quebec’s Premier have established a joint task force to plan for the deployment of EV charging infrastructure between Quebec and Maine.
A number of parties are involved in QC-ME EV Task Force, including Iberdrola, Hydro-Quebec, ME Turnpike Authority, Drive Electric Maine, and the Greater Portland Council of Governments. The group is discussing options for charging station type and siting, as well as program administration. Ms. Smith stated that the current focus is on DC fast-charging stations that charge from 0-80% in up to 30 minutes, each of which will cost between $50,000 and $200,000. In addition to government funding from Maine and Quebec, the project has received financial commitments from Hydro-Quebec and Iberdola. The goal is to select seven charging station locations by the end of August.
Mr. Hodsdon asked if the “charging stations” referred to a group of chargers or a single charger. Ms. Smith stated that a station would include at least one charger. Depending on corporate sponsorship, they may be able to include more. Mr. Hodsdon asked if the auto industry had devised a standard plug arrangement. Ms. Smith said that Tesla’s charging stations can accommodate various EV models with an adapter, noting that this narrows the field of potential technology providers. Mr. Hodsdon also asked if the QC-ME EV Task Force was looking at installations along Route 26 from Montreal. Ms. Smith stated that the focus is first on Route 201, but Route 26 and Route 302 have been part of the discussions. Mr. Stoddard noted that EMT would consider ways it could help with this project in the coming weeks.

The next meeting is 9/21 Efficiency Maine Trust Board Meeting - Efficiency Maine

 

[Bangor Bob]

Thanks for the update. About a month ago I tried to figure out what happened to that project, it had gone very quiet then.

 

[djplong]

" Ms. Smith said that Tesla’s charging stations can accommodate various EV models with an adapter, "

I think she's got it backwards. Tesla cars have adapters for non-Supercharger stations. I've yet to hear how a Nissan Leaf or a Chevy Volt could ever plug into a Supercharger.

 

[RiverBrick]

There's a deadline quickly approaching in Maine for commenting on parts of the plan:

http://www.maine.gov/energy/pdf/_RFI#201608160-Quebec-Maine-Electric-Vehicle-Charging-Corridor.pdf

There was a press release in Quebec today, perhaps there was a parallel one in Maine as well. Confirming information in the document linked to by Gwgan, phase one of the plan is the Portland, ME to Quebec City corridor.

Montreal to Maine and a coastal route could come later.

As far as new deployment in Quebec is concerned, they only mention Stanstead in Spring 2017 to serve travel to and from New England. Otherwise, they seem to think the existing infrastructure is already sufficient.

 

[Gwgan]

This proposal looks like it would extend the fast DC charging infrastructure already in place in QC. What is it about the Maine economy that there is not already a Sun Country or Circuit Electrique like company filling in the charging network like there is in Canada so the state government has to be involved? It is legal to resell electricity here so a charger does not even have to be a loss-leader attractant for a business.

 

[Gwgan]

As of 9/8 the proposals are listed for review Governor's Energy Office: News & Events

IMO, ABB put the best foot foreword.

I wonder though if travel through a rural areas such as this should really just target cars with reasonable range (200 miles, not 50); that it is not worth trying to stimulate EV adoption by funding infrastructure for short distance cars in an area with winding mountain roads, Winter, no cell service, and few towns. Once the Bolt and Model 3 are on the roads, the previously produced small crop of short-range cars will soon be a forgotten fleet.

 

[RiverBrick]

A new section of Autoroute 73 is set to open within a week which allows one to bypass the city traffic in Beauceville and most of St-Georges. Depending on the time of day, it should save you 15-30 minutes between Maine and Quebec City.

The current GoogleMaps path is in blue. You can see the soon-to-be-opened A73 segment on the right. Where you would turn off 204/173 to reach A73 goes right past this CHAdeMO location: Les Pères Nature | Saint-Georges, QC | Electric Car Charging Station | PlugShare

 

[Gwgan]

Executive summary from the Efficiency Maine board had this mention of ongoing review of received proposals

FY2017 Plans -- Staff issued a Request for Information in order to gather input from stakeholders on topics, measures, technologies, and strategies the Trust could target with its Innovation Program this fiscal year. Staff is also reviewing the responses gathered by the Governor’s Energy Office from its request for information about options for promoting electric vehicle (EV) chargers in conjunction with the Governor’s initiative with Quebec to promote a route for EVs to travel between Maine and Quebec.

Source: http://www.efficiencymaine.com/docs/Executive-Directors-Report-09.21.16.pdf

 

[Gwgan]

The Mayors' Coalition Electric Vehicle Forum happened in Augusta, ME https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/posts/1801595/ . About three dozen people attended. Basically laid out the problem of needing some high speed chargers and identified approaches. The solutions will come in future meetings and discussions made possible by bringing these people together. As for the fast-charger corridor, Quebec wants it done last year. Money may be available from the VW settlement but not until late 2017, which is considered too late so private/public partnerships will be pursued.
Other points: municipalities can reduce their fleet costs significantly with Leaf leases, Drive and Ride programs with demos and loaners helps promote EV adoption.
Audience of municipal and businesss leaders had concerns about range, having to reducing cabin heating in winter, and home charging issues. Longer range BEV’s will be welcome. 2017 Leaf at EPA 107 is not quite enough for rural areas; 50 miles in cold is not enough but 4x typical driving would be (200+). I heard the term Range Confidence for the first time.
Parking lot: Leaf, i3, Model X, Volt, and more ‘EV’s so this was mostly an experienced crowd.

 

[RiverBrick]

Thanks for the update. EVgo will not issue a membership card to anyone with a Canadian address. Until they change this policy they should be excluded from bidding on any part of this contract.

 

[RiverBrick]

A LEAF driver in Quebec wrote the Maine Governor's office and the response seems to mean nothing new until 2018 or later. They pointed to public CHAdeMO that already exists from Portland to Augusta (mostly Nissan dealers?) but said they will have to get creative for the rest due to lack of funding. Are they holding out for the VW settlement?

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

A LEAF driver in Quebec wrote the Maine Governor's office and the response seems to mean nothing new until 2018 or later. They pointed to public CHAdeMO that already exists from Portland to Augusta (mostly Nissan dealers?) but said they will have to get creative for the rest due to lack of funding. Are they holding out for the VW settlement?

Lots of things in Maine have a lack of funding.

Thanks for the update. EVgo will not issue a membership card to anyone with a Canadian address. Until they change this policy they should be excluded from bidding on any part of this contract.

And manufacturers apparently shouldn't do infrastructure...

 

[Gwgan]

They were hoping for VW money, but it’s not coming. Welcome to Electrify America | Commitment
The non-metropolitan, non-high-traffic corridors between Maine and Quebec do not qualify.

 

[divesturner]

This could be important:

Governor LePage and Quebec Premier Couillard Announce Electric Vehicle Corridor Initiative

I drove this exact route (Augusta SC to Quebec city) last summer in an S60D. Could not make the full route but used a Chademo at a market and restaurant in St-Georges QC to bridge the gap. A larger battery can make this trip in the summer, but there is no hope in the middle of winter. I was forced to travel a different route through NH and VT in late December / early January. Quebec has a great network of chargers, supplied by hydro power but you need to acquire their membership card in advance.

 

[juliusa]

Seems like a pretty easy route to enable. A supercharger in Jackman would do it for Teslas, and a CHAdeMO there would do it for everyone else. Not sure why they need an "initiative".

 

[RiverBrick]

I am not completely understanding the VW program criteria. Is it only Interstates, only high traffic corridors (Interstate or not) or only Interstates meeting some minimum traffic requirement?

 

[RiverBrick]

Hydro-Quebec is attempting to win approval to run lines through Maine to Massachusetts.

Party of their latest offer to win acceptance for the plan is 170 million over 40 years for various programs. 15 million of which is for electrification of the transport sector.

In previous propositions, there was specific mention of 10 million for a network of DC Fast Charging, but over a shorter span than 40 years.

latest story (French only) : Hydro-Québec versera 170 M $ au Maine pour développer une ligne de transport

Google translate (might not work) https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1154287/hydro-quebec-maine-ligne-transport-entente-170millions

 

[NYCR160]

I just saw this thread and run the two destinations through the EV Trip Planner. Someone needs to tell Governor LePage to buy a Tesla. They do not need to spend 170 M $. They need a better car...