Quebec allocates nearly $2 million for charging station pilot project

Quebec is allocating nearly $2 million to set up a pilot project to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations. (LA PRESSE CANADIENNE/Sean Kilpatrick)

Quebec is allocating nearly $2 million to set up a pilot project to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations for people who don't have one at home, as well as for heavy transport.

As part of the pilot project, Hydro-Quebec says it will test 34 dual charging stations for "charging orphans," that is, electric vehicle owners who do not have a charging station at home.

Modulated overnight charging will also be tested during the pilot project.

According to the government, this could benefit residents of dense neighbourhoods.

Three fast-charging stations for heavy vehicles will also be commissioned as part of the project, to be rolled out by March 31, 2025.

These will be installed near industrial parks, where the first electric trucks are expected to start operating.

As part of its Stratégie québécoise sur la recharge de véhicules électriques 2023-2030, the government says it wants to have 110,000 Level 2 and 6,700 fast-charging stations on Quebec's public network by 2030.

Last week, the Circuit électrique announced a change in charging rates for stations currently in service.

Use of fast-charging stations is now billed according to the amount of electricity supplied to the vehicle, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), or by the hour as soon as the power supplied by the station falls below 10 or 20 kilowatts, depending on the type of station.