By Robert Paterson, LJI
Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are booming in Quebec. One new car in five is electric. Quebec has the cheapest electricity in North America and offers subsidies for electric vehicles, as does the federal government.
What about charging?
Most journeys are short. Statscan says that the average trip is about 12.5 Km. It is the cheapest and most convenient to charge an EV at home. Quebec offers a $600 grant for the installation of a home charger. A Level 2 home charger uses 240 volts, like your dryer. You need an electrician to install it. Quilliams Electric has seen its EV Charger installation business grow by 300% every year. Their most popular home chargers that fit all vehicles cost around $1,000 before taxes. These include all EVs. Tesla offers a range of three home chargers. Prices range from $300 to $800. The work will take between one and five hours, depending on configuration. It is best to have the site planned and the work done before the delivery of your car.
Range is the biggest worry for most people, especially about charging on long-distance trips. The Tesla Supercharger network covers all the main highways in Canada. Other electric cars, such as the popular Hyundai Ionic 5 or the Ford Mustang EV, can now use the Tesla network. There are different independent chargers, but there are reports of them not working well.
This issue has been solved by Hydro Quebec, which operates a system called Electric Circuit. With the Electric Circuit App and a dedicated identity card, the driver knows which terminals are available. They simply touch their card and plug in. All the payments are part of the system. Electric Circuit extends into New Brunswick and Eastern Ontario.
Both Tesla and Electric Circuit have apps for your phone that offer a lot of information and control.
Charging is fastest, from a low charge up to 80%. Away from home, looking for the highest capacity charger possible would be best. Tesla offers 150KW and 100KW. Electric Circuit mainly offers 100KW and 50KW. These higher-rated chargers are often found just off the highway or at shopping centres or places where you can grab a coffee or a snack while you charge.
One regional drawback: on cold days in winter, expect to lose 30% of your battery capacity.
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