The number of fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EV) in Argenteuil will soon increase by 11 in smaller communities across the district. Argenteuil and Québec already have more EV charging stations than Prescott-Russell and Ontario.
On July 18, Argenteuil Member of the National Assembly Agnès Grondin announced 11 new fast charging stations will soon be added in Brownsburg-Chatham, the village of Grenville, Lachute and Morin Heights, which is part of the Argenteuil electoral district, but not the regional municipality.
Adding more EV charging stations in Argenteuil is part of a nearly $60 million contribution by the Québec government to support the private sector development of 367 more direct current (DC) charging stations across Québec. The government issued a call for projects for the stations, and the application period ended on October 28, 2022. The 367 terminals are of 100 kilowatts or more, and are distributed across 131 sites in Québec.
Hydro-Québec describes a fast-charging station as any terminal operating on 50 kilowatts or more. A Level One charging station is described by Hydro-Québec as a standard, 120-volt outlet, which uses roughly the same amount of power required to operate a 1,400-watt air conditioner. A Level Two charging station uses a 240-volt outlet, the same as for a kitchen stove or clothes dryer. According to Hydro-Québec, charging a vehicle at these seven-kilowatt charging stations roughly equals the amount of electricity used by a 180 litre/40-gallon electric water heater in one year.
In Argenteuil, there are already 30 EV charging stations of varying levels at 14 locations.
With the addition of these new fast charging stations in Québec, the equivalent of 40 per cent of all public DC fast charging stations in Canada will be located in Québec. With the expansion being made, Québec will be able to increase its network of already more than 1,200 DC fast charging stations by 30 per cent.
Expanding the number of charging stations is part of the Québec government’s desire to accelerate the electrification of transport and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The financial support is meant as an incentive to businesses to buy and install public charging stations.
The stations will be added to Hydro-Québec’s Circuit électrique charging station network, which is the largest network of public EV charging stations in Québec with more than 4,200 stations, including 700 fast charging stations. However, Hydro-Québec’s statistics show 90 per cent of EV charging is done at home. But public stations are needed when drivers are on extended trips away from home.
While Québec has the electricity and infrastructure to build and keep building EV charging stations, Ontario has a greater population, more automobiles on its busy roads, and is also the centre of the Canadian automotive industry. However, Natural Resources Canada reports there are only 2,720 charging stations of all levels across the province. Stations in Ontario are provided by a series of private and public operators, which ironically includes Hydro-Québec’s Circuit électrique network. In Ontario, there are 32 Level 2 charging stations at eight Ministry of Transportation commuter carpool lots, but all but the Gananoque location is Central or Southwestern Ontario.
In Prescott-Russell, there are currently just 12 EV charging stations of all levels. Hawkesbury has five charging stations, Vankleek Hill has just one. There are three charging stations in Casselman, and one each in Embrun and Russell. Rockland, the largest urban area of Prescott-Russell, has only one charging station and there are none in Alfred, Plantagenet, L’Orignal, St-Isidore, or Limoges.
