Quebec invests $2.7M into electric vehicle tech for apartments and condos

The Quebec government is granting $2.7 million to a project that will make it easier to charge electric vehicles (EVs) in apartments and condos.

Tech companies Recharge Véhicule Électrique (RVE) and Dimonoff, both based in Quebec, are developing software to power charging stations in a way that minimizes strain on the electrical network.

As it stands, most multi-unit buildings in Quebec can't handle charging multiple EVs at once. The new tech would distribute power throughout the night rather than charging vehicles during peak hours.

"[This] will increase the accessibility of recharging to nearly 40 per cent of the Quebec population, i.e. those living in multi-unit buildings," said RVE president David Corbeil in a press release.

Quebec Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon said alleviating pressure on Hydro-Quebec's network will allow the utility to reduce the amount of power it imports.

Speaking at a press conference in Laval Friday, he said this is just one of many ways Quebec can streamline its energy consumption.

"The idea is not to increase electricity. It's to consume better," he told reporters.

There are currently about 170,000 electric vehicles in Quebec, according to data from the Association des véhicules électriques du Québec (AVÉQ).

The provincial government aims to bump that number to 2 million 2030.

"Clearly, this will put enormous pressure on Hydro-Québec, not in terms of energy, but in terms of power management," Fitzgibbon said.

With files from CTV's Olivia O'Malley and The Canadian Press.