Quebec tech firms to develop electric vehicle exchange program
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Developing bidirectional charging station for vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-home power exchanges
Montreal—GRIDbot Canada has been contracted by Hydo-Quebec to develop a bi-directional charging station for an experimental electric vehicle exchange program.
Hydro-Quebec’s research institute (IREQ) awarded GRIDbot—based in Shawinigan, Que.—the development and supply contract for an advanced bidirectional charging station for an experimental project on vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home power exchanges (V2G-V2H).
The goal of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems is to use the electricity stored in the batteries of plug-in vehicles as backup energy for electricity grids, such as the Hydro-Quebec power system, during peak periods, according to the utility company.
Vehicle-to-home (V2H) systems would allow plug-in vehicle owners to use the energy stored in the battery as a temporary power source during outages as they would a generator.
To carry out the project, IREQ will assemble an electric test vehicle that will showcase Quebec-designed technologies.
TM4, a Hydro-Quebec subsidiary, will supply a latest-generation TM4 MФTIVE electric powertrain system.
B3CG Interconnect, a company from Saint-Eustache, Que., along with its partners, the Centre National du Transport Avance (national centre for advanced transportation) in Saint-Jérôme, Que., and Brioconcept, based in Laval, Que., developed a bidirectional charger that will be integrated to the charging station built by GRIDbot.
This company also develops a lithium iron phosphate battery, an advanced material patented by IREQ, and a complex management system.
“We would like to better define the long-term potential of this technology,” IREQ general manager Denis Faubert said in a statement. “Through this initiative, Hydro-Quebec will continue to spearhead the integration of electric vehicles into the power system and become a showcase for Quebec know-how.”
The project will receive financial support from the Quebec government as part of its 2011-2020 Action Plan for Electric Vehicles.
“The Hydro-Quebec project is a unique occasion to develop GRIDbot Canada’s V2G and V2H technologies,” GRIDbot administrator and project manager Eric Martelat said. “Our Shawinigan-built bidirectional charging station will be based on the ingenuity developed here in Quebec with the support and expertise of the IREQ team.”
