Quebec Government Commits To EVs In A Big Way

[Mad Hungarian]

800+ new charging stations in the works throughout the province...
Great news for those of us who live here and those of you who'd like to come visit:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-electric-car-network-expansion-1.3263341

 

[Mad Hungarian]

800+ new charging stations to come / $8K purchase/lease rebate confirmed to continue through 2020 / No tolls for EVs!
I'm actually beginning to think there's hope for this place :biggrin:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-electric-car-network-expansion-1.3263341


The part about HOV lane access bit would also confirm/explain what llavalle posted a few weeks back: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...-access-in-Québec-is-imminent-for-EV-drivers

 

[jdw]

Great news, although the comment section of that article is enough to make one weep ...

 

[glenhurst]

I wish they'd skip the 785 "public charging stations" which I assume are going to be 30 amp L2 chargers and put the money into making the pool of 60 DCFCs bigger. L2 chargers are going to be obsolete very shortly once a 200 mile range becomes the defacto standard for low end EVs (think Model 3 and Chevy Bolt; and Nissan will have to up the Leaf to 200 mile range as well in order to compete). A 200 mile range makes all sorts of longer trips possible and when you're doing that, stopping at a public charger that only gives you 14-18 mph just doesn't cut it. I wish someone would explain that to them before they waste the money on the L2 chargers.

 

[zax123]

I agree that L2 is not good for long distance travel but it is good for destination charging. If they were installed in the proper places (which some are) they can actually be useful. For stop and go fillups, however, L3 is the way to go.

 

[DMC-Orangeville]

I wish they'd skip the 785 "public charging stations" which I assume are going to be 30 amp L2 chargers and put the money into making the pool of 60 DCFCs bigger. L2 chargers are going to be obsolete very shortly once a 200 mile range becomes the defacto standard for low end EVs (think Model 3 and Chevy Bolt; and Nissan will have to up the Leaf to 200 mile range as well in order to compete). A 200 mile range makes all sorts of longer trips possible and when you're doing that, stopping at a public charger that only gives you 14-18 mph just doesn't cut it. I wish someone would explain that to them before they waste the money on the L2 chargers.

I quoted this earlier in another post, but it's pertinent. This op-ed piece in Electrical Business quotes a study from the Idaho National Library saying that "we don't need a lot more chargers". I did respond to this by saying we need the infrastructure for a Canada-wide fast charging network.

Charging stations NOT needed everywhere for greater PEV adoption | Electrical Business

Please read (and comment, if you wish).

 

[glenhurst]

I agree that L2 is not good for long distance travel but it is good for destination charging. If they were installed in the proper places (which some are) they can actually be useful. For stop and go fillups, however, L3 is the way to go.

Right, but L2 chargers are inexpensive enough (relatively speaking) that destination sites such as hotels and other businesses can afford to pay for them themselves. L3s, at $30k-$50k a pop are more of a financial challenge and thus more in need of public subsidy (which is what this is). I'd like to see L3 chargers in every little town in the province, and have the hotels buy their own L2 chargers as a way to attract customers. I think the latter part will happen over time, just as all hotels now offer wifi.

 

[RiverBrick]

Unfortunately, ignorance breeds jealousy. A large portion of the population is against any EV incentive in Québec and some people are very mad now. I wonder if that's why someone unplugged me tonight amd tossed the recharging pistol in the bushes. This was at a privately owned and financed station, though on a public network.


Otherwise, I had the same reaction about the L2 stations, but some are apparently earmarked to be near apartments and condos.

 

[beeeerock]

I quoted this earlier in another post, but it's pertinent. This op-ed piece in Electrical Business quotes a study from the Idaho National Library saying that "we don't need a lot more chargers". I did respond to this by saying we need the infrastructure for a Canada-wide fast charging network.

Charging stations NOT needed everywhere for greater PEV adoption | Electrical Business

I have to question whether the test results could be skewed by the short range EV's we assume dominated the study. If people aren't able to drive distances with these EV's we won't see them displaying habits of charging other than what the test saw. Doesn't mean there isn't some accuracy or truth to the study, but it might just be part of the story. You really need to include a larger cross section of vehicles (especially Tesla's since they have the ability to leave town...).

I suspect the study is most realistic for urban commuter cars.

 

[Miousic]

800+ new charging stations in the works throughout the province...
Great news for those of us who live here and those of you who'd like to come visit:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-electric-car-network-expansion-1.3263341

The problem is they dont understand we need fast charger!!!

 

[llavalle]

Just a quick note : the charger listed in the EV plan include the ones that are already there. So the 60 CHAdeMO stations are the one that were planned earlier this year, nothing new.

Same for the J1772 30A chargers, it's close to 800 including the ones that are already there.

 

[Mad Hungarian]

The problem is they dont understand we need fast charger!!!

60 of the new stations WILL be fast chargers, and these will be located on or near high traffic travel routes.
From what I can gather in the plan, a number of the proposed L2's will be placed in urban areas near condo and apartment buildings to help speed up EV adoption for people who would otherwise have no local daily charging options. If the government's serious about getting 100,000 EV's on the road in a province where so many people live in those types of dwellings then I think this makes pretty good sense.

 

[Mad Hungarian]

Right, but L2 chargers are inexpensive enough (relatively speaking) that destination sites such as hotels and other businesses can afford to pay for them themselves. L3s, at $30k-$50k a pop are more of a financial challenge and thus more in need of public subsidy (which is what this is). I'd like to see L3 chargers in every little town in the province, and have the hotels buy their own L2 chargers as a way to attract customers. I think the latter part will happen over time, just as all hotels now offer wifi.

It's important to understand that one of Quebec's primary goals with this program is get 100,000 EV's on the road by 2020. As a significant number of people here in both urban and suburban areas live in condos and apartments with no charging facilities that's a tall order in such a short period if not addressed, that's why they've alloted so much of the budget to the near-residential L2 chargers. And when you consider that the vast majority of long distance travel in this province occurs over just a half-dozen highway routes, adding 60 fast chargers to those will still yield a big improvement.

 

[Miousic]

60 of the new stations WILL be fast chargers, and these will be located on or near high traffic travel routes.
From what I can gather in the plan, a number of the proposed L2's will be placed in urban areas near condo and apartment buildings to help speed up EV adoption for people who would otherwise have no local daily charging options. If the government's serious about getting 100,000 EV's on the road in a province where so many people live in those types of dwellings then I think this makes pretty good sense.

These chargers will be install by Hydro Quebec, those who put 500 L2 chargers in Metros and St-Hubert. I'm still skeptical !

 

[Mad Hungarian]

These chargers will be install by Hydro Quebec, those who put 500 L2 chargers in Metros and St-Hubert. I'm still skeptical !

Understand your concern. They are however quite specific in the report, here's a direct quote from pg. 27:
"By December 31, 2016, the Electric Circuit network will have 725 charging stations of 240V in operation and 60 stations of 400V"

Links to download to whole 75 page report are here:

English: http://mtq.fabrique3.net/wp-content/themes/mtq/library/pdf/CIAO-047-MTQ-LGS-RapportENv3.pdf

French: http://mtq.fabrique3.net/wp-content/themes/mtq/library/pdf/CIAO-047-MTQ-LGS-RapportFRv5.pdf

 

[decibel]

I wish they'd skip the 785 "public charging stations" which I assume are going to be 30 amp L2 chargers and put the money into making the pool of 60 DCFCs bigger. L2 chargers are going to be obsolete very shortly ...

In Quebec, L2 chargers are needed in winter as a "block heater" to keep cars operational while folks are shopping, at the rink, or skiing. It is not only about charging, it is also about improving efficiency in winter (and overcoming fears about the ability to use an EV when the highs are in the minus 20 range).

 

[RiverBrick]

These chargers will be install by Hydro Quebec, those who put 500 L2 chargers in Metros and St-Hubert. I'm still skeptical !

There are 21 L2's at Metro supermarkets and St -Hubert will end up having an L2 at every restaurant in Quebec (about 85) and 15 of them will also have CHAdeMO/CCS. It wasn't really H-Q's decision to put them there. Metro and St -Hubert simply were receptive to paying for the stations (so little public funds).

A couple of hotel chains would have been better, but the H-Q sales team wasn't able to close any deals with one.

 

[Miousic]

There are 21 L2's at Metro supermarkets and St -Hubert will end up having an L2 at every restaurant in Quebec (about 85) and 15 of them will also have CHAdeMO/CCS. It wasn't really H-Q's decision to put them there. Metro and St -Hubert simply were receptive to paying for the stations (so little public funds).

A couple of hotel chains would have been better, but the H-Q sales team wasn't able to close any deals with one.

Are you working for Hydro? You seem well inform!

 

[Miousic]

In Quebec, L2 chargers are needed in winter as a "block heater" to keep cars operational while folks are shopping, at the rink, or skiing. It is not only about charging, it is also about improving efficiency in winter (and overcoming fears about the ability to use an EV when the highs are in the minus 20 range).

Do you have an EV? Wich one? Do you live in Quebec?

 

[zax123]

In Quebec, L2 chargers are needed in winter as a "block heater" to keep cars operational while folks are shopping, at the rink, or skiing. It is not only about charging, it is also about improving efficiency in winter (and overcoming fears about the ability to use an EV when the highs are in the minus 20 range).

Not sure I would pay $2.50 to block heat my car while I shop...