Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Join The Electric Circuit - Public Charging Stations to Be Installed at Five Quebec Hotels

MONTREAL, April 13, 2012 /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 signing of a partnership agreement with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to install charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) at their Québec hotels. EV drivers will be able to fill up with clean, renewable energy at the Queen Elizabeth, Château Frontenac, Château Montebello, Manoir Richelieu and Fairmont Tremblant this summer.

"Having pioneered eco-responsible accommodations, we are firmly committed to promoting sustainable tourism," said Richard Payette, Regional Vice President, Eastern Canada, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. "We're proud to join The Electric Circuit and provide our green customers with easy access to charging stations when they travel."

"We're delighted that The Electric Circuit is expanding and plug-in EV drivers will have access to even more charging stations. With this partnership, we can diversify our offering, especially in downtown Montréal and Québec," said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Hydro-Québec's Senior Director - Strategic Planning, on behalf of The Electric Circuit's founding partners.

The Electric Circuit
The Electric Circuit is Canada's first public charging network for plug-in electric vehicles. This initiative is a major milestone in the rollout of the charging infrastructure needed to support the arrival of plug-in EVs in Québec and is in line with the Quebec government's 2011-2020 Action Plan for Electric Vehicles.

Thirty 240-volt stations are already available to recharge EVs in parking lots of RONA hardware stores, Metro grocery stores and Rôtisseries St-Hubert restaurants in the greater Montréal and Québec areas. Another 20 stations will be installed in AMT park-and-ride facilities over the next several weeks, and there will be at least 120 stations operating in and around Montreal and the city of Quebec city by this summer. After that, the network will expand with more 240-volt stations and even faster charging stations (400volts) as more EVs hit the road.

EV owners do most of their recharging at home and at work, but The Electric Circuit allows drivers to travel worry free, knowing they can top up their batteries on the road if needed. Users of the public charging network also have access to a 24/7 telephone help line run by CAA-Quebec as well as a charging station locator service. Of course, The Electric Circuit Web site, www.theelectriccircuit.com, is updated as new stations are available or deployed.

About Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts opened a hotel in Kyiv in March and will open others in Jaipur and Manila later this year. The group has a collection of more than 60 luxury properties around the globe, including Shanghai's Fairmont Peace Hotel, The Plaza in New York and the Makkah Clock Royal Tower in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The luxury brand's distinctive hotels offer a unique blend of heritage and sophistication, warm, engaging service and culturally rich experiences. With properties in the most beautiful, best preserved parts of the world, Fairmont is recognized internationally for its responsible tourism practices and award-winning Green Partnership program. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with over 100 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages hotel-branded luxury private residences, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences. For more information or reservations, please call 1 800 441-1414 or visit fairmont.com.

Mathieu Rouy
Hydro-Québec for the Electric Circuit
514 289-2311
[email protected]

Joanne Papineau
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
514 954-2208
[email protected]