Quebec firm to expand electric vehicle charging network by 1,000 stations
by Cleantech Canada Staff
AddEnergie will commit $7.3 million to the $16.9 million project; Natural Resources Canada, the Quebec government and private partners will kick in the remaining funds
SHAWINIGAN, Que.—An electric vehicle charging solutions developer has partnered with the federal government to make electric cars more feasible for Canadians.
AddEnergie, a Quebec-based firm, has announced financial backing from Natural Resources Canada to fund research and install 1,000 new electric charging stations across Canada.
Natural Resources Canada will contribute $6.7 million to this $16.9 million initiative, while AddEnergie will invest $7.3 million.
The initiative will also benefit from a $748,000 contribution from the Quebec Ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation and $1.9 million from various private partners.
The new charging stations will expand the Canada-wide FLO charging network, operated by AddEnergie.
The FLO network is the largest vehicle charging station network in Canada, with more than 2,500 charging stations currently—all of which are connected to a mobile app that allows customers to locate stations and pay remotely. This network was launched in June 2016.
All 1,000 charging stations planned for the expansion will be set up by 2019.
The announcement of the funding initiative was made Feb. 27, during a visit by Catherine McKenna, federal minister of Environment and Climate Change, and François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of International Trade, to the AddEnergie production plant in Shawinigan.
“Electric cars are becoming cheaper and more efficient and are part of the solution to fight climate change. By investing in charging stations, our government can make these cars an easier choice for Canadians,” said McKenna.
The project will create 86 permanent jobs in Canada over five years and prevent emissions of over 880,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
“We are pleased that the federal government is trusting us to develop and implement the technology that will be required to power the next generation of electric cars in Canada,” said Louis Tremblay, president and CEO of AddEnergie.
