The Electric Circuit celebrates its 10th anniversary


In 2022, the Hydro-Québec Electric Circuit will celebrate its tenth anniversary. To highlight this first decade, Antoine Joubert and Germain Goyer received Jonathan Côté, spokesperson for the Electrical circuit at Hydro-Québec, on the show The Car Guide on QUB Radio.

With him, they also took the opportunity to discuss the costs associated with recharging as well as the issues when the temperature is particularly cold.

The beginnings

In 2012, the electric automobile was a little more marginal. Thanks to its flair, Hydro-Québec was able to set up the first network of charging stations for light vehicles in the country.

“We could see that there was a logic in the fact that Hydro-Québec responded to the demand for electric charging. At that time, there was no private company that had cornered the market. And Hydro-Québec had a natural interest in promoting the electrification of transportation. It is part of the government corporation’s objectives to decarbonize the economy,” says Mr. Côté.

How much does it cost?

While the price of a liter of gasoline has been on the rise for several months, many motorists are questioning their current mode of transport. However, before making the leap to the plug-in hybrid or fully electric car, it is essential to first take a look at the cost of recharging such a vehicle.

As Mr. Côté explained on our airwaves, “there are two categories of charging stations. There are the standard 240 V charging stations. Our network has nearly 3,000 units. They will take longer to charge, perhaps six, eight or ten hours depending on the capacity of the vehicle’s battery and its remaining range once arrived at the terminal. Some offer a flat rate of $2.50 for charging and others cost $1 per hour. »

In connection with the fast charging stations, Mr. Côté mentioned that “their different function. They are used when you want to cover a distance greater than that of the vehicle’s maximum range. They are mainly found near major highways. They will cost more ($12.08 per hour for a 50 kW charging station), but we stay there much shorter. »

The challenges in winter

While Quebec is negotiating with a particularly cold month of January this year, it is legitimate to question the impact of such a temperature on the range and charging of an electric vehicle.

To this end, Mr. Côté shared a tip for current and future owners of electric vehicles. “Electric vehicle batteries will respond better to charging when they are a little warmer. Motorists are advised to wait for the battery to warm up before recharging. And the best way to warm up our battery is to drive the vehicle. We therefore recommend, when you have long distances to cover in cold weather, to plan your charging further than at the start of the journey. Thus, you will benefit from a better speed of recharging. »

News of the week

During this program, it was also question of the Cadillac Escalade V-Series, from the end of V12 engine at BMW and the prototype of Electric Winnebago.

Road tests

The two animators also gave their impressions of the Mazda CX-9 2021,5 and Acura RDX 2022 tested.

Answers to questions from readers

Antoine Joubert and Germain Goyer answer questions from the public concerning the Audi Q3 2022, the Kia Carnival as well as the Ford F-150 3.3 liter V6 engine.

The Car Guide, it’s every Saturday at 10 a.m. on QUB Radio, repeating on Sunday at 2 p.m.



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