Montréal, May 19, 2023- Propulsion Québec, the electric and intelligent transportation industry cluster, salutes theGreen Economy Plan 2023-2028 Implementation Plan presented today by Quebec Premier François Legault and Benoît Charette, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. Quebec is on the right track in prioritizing decarbonization of the transportation sector to reduce its GHG emissions. The $3.8 billion over 5 years to accelerate electrification and sustainable mobility will help position Quebec as a true leader in North America and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
"We are delighted to note the increase in the budget dedicated to the transport sector and electrification, as well as the maintenance and extension of certain transition incentives and the government's willingness to massively deploy charging infrastructures. Investing in the development and improvement of mass transit and medium-heavy vehicles has both environmental and economic implications, given that Quebec's electric transport companies have developed expertise in these fields. We also support any measures aimed at helping municipalities develop climate plans," says Sarah Houde, President and CEO of Propulsion Québec.
New ZVE standard: an essential measure to enhance supply in Quebec
Propulsion Québec supports the Quebec government's goal of having two million electric vehicles on Quebec roads by 2030, and 100% of new light vehicle sales by 2035. In this respect, the extension of the Roulez vert program is welcome. So is the announcement of a planned budget of $500 million dedicated to a Quebec strategy for electric vehicle recharging. The deployment of electric and intelligent vehicles and infrastructure inevitably go hand in hand. If we don't have enough electric and intelligent charging infrastructures, we won't be able to achieve our economic and environmental objectives.
Maintaining incentives for heavy vehicles: a lever for transition
We are also delighted with the enhancement and extension of the Écocamionnage program, which will benefit from an increase of $82.5 million. Support for demonstration projects will nevertheless be essential to ensure the development and growth of this sector. We also hope that the recharging strategy will target infrastructures for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
Innovation in transport and the battery industry
Our cluster is also pleased to see support for collaborative industry-research projects in transportation electrification, as well as seed and commercialization support for innovations aimed at reducing GHG emissions. Our Collaborative Mobility Innovation Center (CIM) project will help move ideas from the drawing board to the marketplace. We remain actively involved in meeting the government's objectives, and look forward to collaborating and bringing this initiative to fruition, for the benefit of the entire industry, the environment and Québec know-how.
"However, the impact of intelligent transport on reducing greenhouse gas emissions should not be overlooked. Intelligent transport contributes to achieving energy sobriety by optimizing routes, promoting carpooling and vehicle sharing, optimizing logistics, and collecting and analyzing data," concludes Sarah Houde.
About Propulsion Québec
Quebec's electric and intelligent transportation cluster mobilizes all players in the industry around concerted projects with the aim of positioning Quebec among the leaders in the development and implementation of ground transportation modes that promote electric and intelligent transportation. Created in 2017, Propulsion Québec today has more than 260 members from different sectors and deploys its resources in seven distinct workstreams aimed at developing and supporting innovative projects. The cluster is financially supported by the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), ATTRIX, partner Géotab, Mouvement Desjardins, Fasken, Hydro-Québec, Québecor and CDPQ.
