First fast-charge station in Abitibi-Témiscamingue - Inauguration of a fast-charge station and two standard charging stations for electric vehicles in Val-d'Or

VAL-D'OR, QC, Sept. 18, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Electric Circuit is pleased to announce the signing of a partnership agreement with the city of Val d'Or, as well as the commissioning of a fast-charge station for all-electric vehicles and a standard charging station. A second standard charging station will be added around mid-October at the Carrefour du Nord-Ouest shopping centre. Electric vehicle drivers can now charge their cars using the fast-charge station in the parking lot of city hall at 855, 2^e Avenue, or the standard charging station located at the Centre Air Creebec at 810, 6^e Avenue.

This is the first public fast-charge station in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. This initiative was made possible thanks to the support of Nissan Canada. The fast-charge network is growing rapidly and now offers 15 stations in Québec.

"By contributing to the development and expansion of the network of electric vehicle charging stations, the city of Val-d'Or is demonstrating that transport electrification is well underway in all of Québec's regions. With the numerous actions taken over recent years, our government is reaffirming its commitment to transportation electrification and the fight against greenhouse gas emissions. In Québec, the transportation sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases," said Pierre Arcand, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Northern Plan.

"The city of Val-d'Or is delighted to offer this new service and contribute to the rollout of the Electric Circuit in Québec. This partnership will allow us to meet the needs of visitors and citizens who have adopted electric transportation. It is definitely a step forward for our community," noted Pierre Corbeil, Mayor of Val-d'Or.

"I am very pleased to welcome the city of Val-d'Or to the Electric Circuit," said Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Vice President – Corporate Affairs and Secretary General at Hydro-Québec, on behalf of the partners of the Electric Circuit. "I had the chance to meet with Mayor Corbeil last year and he made it very clear to me that he wanted Val-d'Or to be at the forefront of this field. We thank him for his leadership and the city of Val-d'Or for its confidence in the Electric Circuit. We commend the investment the city is making to offer electric vehicle drivers both standard and fast-charge stations."

These new charging stations will bring the total number of stations in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region to six: two in Rouyn-Noranda and four in Val-d'Or, including a fast-charge station. To find out the exact location of each charging station, visit the Find a Charging Station section of the Electric Circuit's web site at lecircuitelectrique.com/trouver-borne.en.html.

About the Electric Circuit
The Electric Circuit is the largest public charging network in Québec. It is a major initiative in the implementation of the infrastructure required to support the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in Québec. The network comprises some 475 public charging stations, including 16 fast-charge stations, operating across 16 Québec regions. Since its launch in March 2012, 114 private and institutional partners have joined the Electric Circuit, and the network now has over 5,000 members.

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 and the mobile app for iOS and Android are updated as new stations are commissioned. The Electric Circuit card also allows users to access VERnetwork's 150 Québec charging stations.

SOURCE Electric Circuit

Louis-Olivier Batty, Hydro-Québec, for the Electric Circuit, 514 289-4214, [email protected]; Sylviane Mailhot, Communications Officer, City of Val-d'Or, 819 824-9613, extension 2252, [email protected]; Claudianne Godin, Media Relations and Advertising Program Manager, Québec Region, Nissan Canada Inc., 514 235-8509, [email protected]; Véronique Normandin, Media Relations for the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Northern Plan, 418 643-7295