MONTREAL, April 16, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - CAA-Quebec is pleased to be a part of the Branchez-vous / Get Connected event, taking place April 18 and 19 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Test drives of electric vehicles, workshop/conferences, and green driving techniques on the CAA-Quebec simulator will be on the agenda at this one-of-a-kind activity aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of electrified transportation solutions.
At this third edition of the event, 15 or so electric vehicles (PEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) marketed in Quebec, along with exclusive models, will be available for free test drives. There will also be a huge rally of owners of electric vehicles at the racetrack on Saturday, April 18.
Complementary avenues
"Development of PEVs and PHEVs has really ramped up in the last few years, but there is still a great deal of awareness raising and education to do before consumers adopt these vehicles in larger numbers," notes Sophie Gagnon, CAA-Quebec's Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs.
On site: CAA-Quebec specialists and the simulator
CAA-Quebec's automotive industry specialists will be on hand at the event to provide advice to members of the public and to share their recommendations. Visitors will also have an opportunity to fine-tune their green-driving techniques at the wheel of the organization's high-tech driving simulator, picking up valuable tips on how to lower their fuel consumption and in turn reduce their carbon footprint.
A greener future
Currently, the automobile is a transportation method of choice in 80% of Quebec households, meeting needs dictated by occupation of a vast territory. Yet transportation is the sector responsible for the most greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the province, accounting for 44.7% of emissions in 2012. "That's why it's so important to evaluate and promote other innovative technologies with the potential to reduce, as soon as possible, the presence and impacts of GHGs in our environment," Ms. Gagnon adds.
Plug-ins: a growing trend
More and more Quebecers are buying PEVs and PHEVs: half of the 10,000 electric vehicles sold in Canada in the past few years have gone to Quebec buyers. "We sense that consumer interest is there. Our Automotive Advisory Services service is increasingly fielding questions about electric vehicles," Ms. Gagnon concludes.
For more information, visit branchezvous.org.
About CAA-Quebec
CAA-Quebec, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1904, provides automotive, travel, residential and financial services and privileges to its 1,290,000 members.
SOURCE CAA-Québec
Montreal: Anne-Sophie Hamel, Communications Advisor and Spokesperson, 514 861-7111, ext. 5478, Cell.: 514 717-4040, [email protected] ; Quebec City: Catherine Major, Communications Advisor, 418 624-2424, ext. 5810, Cell.: 418 563-4590, [email protected]
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