A first for the Haut-Richelieu regional county municipality - The Electric Circuit commissions its first public charging station in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

MONTREAL, Sept. 13, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The founding partners of the Electric Circuit—Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert, RONA, METRO, the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) and Hydro-Québec—are pleased to announce the inauguration of the first public charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) in the city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. It is located in the parking lot of the Centre culturel Fernand-Charest at 190, Rue Laurier in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

"The municipality is proud to offer a first public charging station in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. This first step will continue, as more charging stations will be installed as part of the revitalization of our downtown. Encouraging the use of energy-efficient and non-polluting vehicles is a priority in the municipality's environmental action plan. Last June, we acquired an all-electric vehicle and today more than a third of our vehicle fleet is more ecological. By taking these concrete measures that improve air quality, the municipality invites its citizens to do likewise," stated the mayor of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and prefect of the MRC du Haut-Richelieu, Gilles Dolbec.

"We are delighted to be part of the inauguration of a first EV charging station in collaboration with the city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu," said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Vice President - Public and Government Affairs at Hydro-Québec, on behalf of the founding partners of the Electric Circuit. "It's great news for the region's drivers of plug-in electric vehicles, who will be able to fill up with clean, renewable energy as needed, as well as for those driving between Québec and Vermont."

The St-Hubert restaurant located on Boulevard du Séminaire Nord will also be home to an Electric Circuit public charging station. Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert is one of the network's founding partners.

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 is the largest public charging network in Québec with nearly 200 charging stations (240 V) currently in service in parking lots of the AMT, RONA stores, Metro grocery stores and St-Hubert restaurants throughout Québec. Since its launch in March 2012, 46 private and institutional partners have joined the Electric Circuit. It will continue to expand in order to offer greater geographical coverage and serve more EV drivers in many regions of Québec.

While most electric vehicle charging is done at home and at work, the public charging infrastructure allows EV drivers to travel worry-free, knowing they can top up their batteries on the road if necessary. Electric Circuit users 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, theelectriccircuit.com, is updated as new stations are installed or commissioned.

SOURCE: Electric Circuit

Isabelle Thellen
Hydro-Québec, for the Electric Circuit
514 289-2211, poste 3792
[email protected]

Isabelle Laflamme
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
450 357-2149
[email protected]