Working Towards a Québec-Ontario Electric Vehicle Public Charging Infrastructure

This week, Hydro-Québec and Plug’nDrive Ontario announced a joint working group to plan the roll-out of an electric vehicle (EV) public charging infrastructure between Québec and Ontario, to offer cross-border charging stations.

The group will identify the first areas to be served, find potential private or public partners, and assess the obstacles to an infrastructure roll-out in a territory with such a large number of jurisdictions.

“Although most EV drivers will charge at home and at night, maximizing the environmental and economic benefits of EVs, expanding public charging infrastructure is crucial to their widespread adoption,” said Cara Clairman, president and CEO of Plug’nDrive. “This project will not only provide an infrastructure link between Ontario and Quebec, but establish a business model upon which future public charging networks in other jurisdictions can be based.”

“We are always on the lookout for new partners. This allows us to develop a more diversified service offer to benefit drivers of plug-in electric vehicles,” said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, senior director of Strategic Planning at Hydro-Québec. “To allow these drivers to travel more easily between Québec and Ontario, we must find solutions quickly.”