A Québec company wins the second tender call for The Electric Circuit AddÉnergie becomes a supplier for the Electric Circuit

AddÉnergie Technologies has won the second tender call for The Electric Circuit. The company, based in the city of Québec, will supply 240-volt charging stations, bringing the number of stations in the network to about 250 within the next year. The charging stations will be rolled out gradually as more electric vehicles (EVs) arrive on the Québec market, in line with the partners’ strategies.

Several bidders responded to the tender call put out by Hydro-Québec on behalf of the partners of The Electric Circuit. Bids were evaluated using a strict protocol comprising a number of criteria, including the hardiness of the charging stations, bid price, user-friendliness and after-sales service. All of the proposed charging stations went through rigorous climate testing at Hydro-Québec’s research institute this past February.

“We are delighted that the Québec-based company AddÉnergie has won the bid for the expansion of The Electric Circuit’s public charging network,” said the Minister of Natural Resources, Martine Ouellet. The business relationship established between The Electric Circuit and AddÉnergie is excellent news for Québec’s economic and technical development. It proves that we have all the assets needed to build an electronic components industry for transportation electrification right here in Québec.”

“We are very enthusiastic about working with AddÉnergie, a Québec City company, to build new charging stations for The Electric Circuit. Their proposal set itself apart in terms of value for money and the flexibility of the management system,” said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Senior Director – Strategic Planning at Hydro-Québec, on behalf of the founding partners of The Electric Circuit. “The new charging stations, made entirely in Québec, will soon be available at some Electric Circuit locations.”

“We are very happy to contribute to the success of The Electric Circuit, a unique occasion for our company which is rapidly growing across the country. It is an incredible opportunity to work with Hydro-Québec, a pioneer in electric vehicle charging in Québec, to develop our expertise and to position ourselves as a leader in the Québec market. It’s also great news for all EV drivers, who will benefit from quality public charging infrastructure to fill up on local ‘fuel’ that creates jobs right here in Québec,” said Louis Tremblay, President of AddÉnergie Technologies.

The first AddÉnergie charging stations will be delivered in the coming months. They will be customized with The Electric Circuit colors, making them easy to recognize for the network’s users.

Charging station interoperability
Compatibility between the different types of charging stations is one of the key issues that exist on the North American market. AddÉnergie Technologies will therefore work with AeroVironment, the company that supplied the first 150 charging stations to The Electric Circuit, to develop a single integrated management solution for their respective technologies. Currently, each charging station supplier has its own system for managing customer and technical services as well as payment. While offering the best charging stations at the best price to its partners, The Electric Circuit will also ensure the interoperability of all stations in its network.

The Electric Circuit
The Electric Circuit is a major initiative in the rollout of charging infrastructure needed to support the arrival of plug-in vehicles in Québec.

The Electric Circuit offers nearly 150 charging stations (240 V) in parking lots of the AMT, as well as those of many RONA hardware stores, METRO grocery stores and St-Hubert restaurants throughout Québec. Since its launch on March 30, 2012, 24 other private and institutional partners have joined The Electric Circuit. It will continue to expand in order to provide greater geographical coverage and serve more EV drivers in several regions of Québec.

While EV owners do most of their charging at home and at work, drivers can travel worry-free, knowing they can top up their batteries on the road if they need to. Electric Circuit users also have access to a 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Québec, as well as a charging station locator service. The Electric Circuit Web site, www.theelectriccircuit.com, is updated as new stations are installed or commissioned.

About AddÉnergie
AddÉnergie is the only builder-operator of charging stations for electric vehicles in Canada. The company’s charging stations are designed, developed and manufactured entirely in Québec. The city of Québec is where the company’s manufacturing partner, Gentec, assembles the charging stations that AddÉnergie markets across the country. The charging station stands out because of its ability to withstand extreme weather conditions—it is the only one in the world certified to operate at temperatures ranging from -40ºC to 50ºC. It is also extremely robust, standing up to rigorous weather and vandalism thanks to its aluminum structure, developed by partner Rio Tinto Alcan.

Partners of The Electric Circuit
The founding partners of The Electric Circuit are Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, RONA, METRO, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) and Hydro-Québec. Since the launch of The Electric Circuit, 24 other private and institutional partners have joined the public charging network, namely:

• Aéroports de Montréal
• Auberge Internationale du Témiscouata
• Bell Centre
• Bishop's University
• Burrough of Saint-Laurent
• CAA-Québec
• Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe
• Cégep de Sherbrooke
• Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke
• Centre de santé et de services sociaux-Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Sherbrooke
• City of Joliette
• City of Longueuil • City of Montréal
• City of Rivière-Rouge
• City of Sherbrooke
• Commission scolaire de la Région-de-Sherbrooke
• DeSerres
• Discount Car & Truck Rentals
• First Capital Realty
• Place des Arts
• Sépaq
• Société des casinos du Québec
• The Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
• Université de Sherbrooke

For information:

Nathalie Vachon
Hydro-Québec for The Electric Circuit
514 289-2441
vachon.nathalie@hydro.qc.ca