FIVE ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR MAKING THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES

ASSESS YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS

It’s important to know your travel habits in order to choose the most appropriate vehicle for your situation. Overestimating how much range you actually need can have an impact on the choice of model, the vehicle cost as well as the environment.

• See the Branchez-Vous brochure To choose a plug-in vehicle that meets your needs, produced by the Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI), for guidelines on how to assess your needs.

EXPLORE CHARGING OPTIONS

Discover the different types of charging stations available at home, at work or on the road. Take advantage of the many tools available to locate charging stations and plan your trips more effectively.

• See the Quebec Electric Vehicle Association’s (AVÉQ) home charging guide (in French) for everything you need to know about installing a charging station at your house or condo.
• Visit the EVSE 101 section of Electric Mobility Canada’s website.
• Explore the different charging solutions presented by the Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI).
• Your employer can take advantage of rebates for the purchase and installation of charging stations at work thanks to the Quebec government’s Drive Green program – Branché au travail section. To be eligible, employers must offer employees free charging for a period of three years following installation of the charging stations.
• Discover the network of public charging stations thanks to applications such as PlugShare and ChargeHub.

Learn about the electric car models currently available in Quebec

There are now over thirty models of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles available on the Quebec market, offering different sizes and ranges. There’s a model for every taste and budget.

• The Quebec Electric Vehicle Association (AVÉQ) presents the main electric vehicle models available in Quebec.
• The Innovative Vehicle Institute offers information on the different electric car models.

COMPARE COSTS: YOU SAVE WITH AN ELECTRIC CAR!

Although the initial purchase price of an electric car is often higher than that of a gas-powered car, it’s important to keep in mind that the government offers purchase rebates. It’s also cheaper to use an electric car thanks to lower fuel, maintenance and insurance costs. There are many tools available to help you compare the costs.

• The government offers a rebate of up to $8,000 for the purchase of a new or used electric vehicle. You can also take advantage of a rebate of up to $600 for the purchase and installation of a home charging station. Find out what’s available !
• Hydro-Québec offers a tool to calculate how much you’ll save by consuming kilowatt-hours instead of gas.
• Compare the km/hr cost of driving an electric car versus a conventional car thanks to the CAA’s cost calculator.

Take a free test drive

You can test drive an all-electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for free by taking advantage of special events, the AVÉQ’s partnering program, or a visit to a car dealership. Once you try one, you can’t go back!

• Check out the AVÉQ’s schedule to find out about test drive events happening in your region, including Équiterre’s Electrifying Encounters and the Innovative Vehicle Institute’s Branchez-Vous events. You’ll have the opportunity to meet experts and passionate electric car owners.
• Take advantage of the program offered by the AVÉQ that pairs consumers interested in taking a test drive with volunteer electric vehicle owners. You can search by region or vehicle model.
• Visit the website of the Corporation des concessionnaires d’automobiles du Québec to find a car dealer that sells the electric car or plug-in hybrid vehicle you’re looking for.