In this series of articles, Propulsion Québec reviews the 2ndedition of the International Forum on Fleet Management, which took place as 5 virtual events from October 27, 2020 to April 27, 2021. This unique event in Quebec brings together professionals and suppliers around a common goal: modernizing vehicle fleets through new technologies and solutions available on the market to meet environmental, social, operational and regulatory requirements.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, Propulsion Québec decided to completely rethink the event’s presentation format for virtual delivery, offering 5 events each focused on a single theme. Here is a look back at the January 26, 2021 event, centered on charging and batteries, of the 2nd edition of the IMPULSION MTL Forum.
This 3rd event in a series of 5 was an opportunity for the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Jonatan Julien, and the President and CEO of Vidéotron, Jean-François Pruneau, to announce the first private charging depot in Quebec. As part of the Plan for a Green Economy 2030, the government of Quebec granted $500,000 to Vidéotron for its project to install, pilot and evaluate charging infrastructure for the vehicle depot on Avenue Frontenac in Montreal. Vidéotron is therefore investing nearly $1.3M in this large-scale pilot project for electric vehicle fleet charging.
Propulsion Québec also published a study entitled Electrification of vehicle fleets in Quebec: the adoption of medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles in commercial and institutional fleets in 2020, which highlighted several issues, including fleet charging.
Special FLO announcement
Sylvain Bouffard, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at FLO | AddÉnergie, and Stéphane Labrecque, Director, Fleet at Vidéotron, also used the IMPULSION MTL Forum to make a special announcement. Vidéotron, one of AddÉnergie’s main fleet customers, will pilot test the new CoRe+ Max charging station fully developed in Quebec by the FLO | AddÉnergie team.
This level 2 charger, operating at 80 amperes, is built in an ultra-durable aluminum housing. It operates using AddÉnergie’s patented software, which helps control electricity costs. Thanks to its versatility, it can significantly reduce energy costs, especially for a fleet of the size of Vidéotron’s.
Smart management of charging solutions
During the first panel discussion, the invited experts all mentioned their willingness to support fleet operators who want to transition to electrified vehicle fleets. Anthony Mainville, President of AttriX integrated partner Geotab, spoke about the importance of telematics to facilitate this transition, a considerable benefit in terms of planning. With the telematics solution integrated to the dispatch system and the ERP, it ensures that charging has indeed been initiated and increases charging operations.
Frederick Prigge, Eng., Director of Research and Development at the Institut du véhicule innovant (IVI), mentioned the main challenges that fleet operations face: ensuring their fleet is operational and keeping costs as low as possible.
Sylvain Bouffard, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at FLO | AddÉnergie, for his part spoke about the importance of charger design so they can endure over time, both in terms of material choices and the durability of the technology/connectivity that can apply to vehicles and light trucks.
Strategy for optimization and deployment of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in cities
During this second panel, Dale Hall, Electric Vehicles Researcher at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) in London, noted that by 2030 there will be nine times more charging stations than in 2020, which represents about 40,000 chargers, excluding those located at private residences and workplaces.
Dr. Mehrnaz Ghamami, Assistant Professor at the College of Engineering at Michigan State University, mentioned that resources are limited in Michigan in terms of charger production. She also noted that solar panels could provide increased support to the electrical grid.
Raghu Sudhakara, Director, Project Demonstrations, Strategic Engagement, Electric Vehicles at the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, presented their current pilot project of 120 charging stations in 5 New York neighborhoods. This test will allow them to examine the use of the charging network and prove that a large-scale deployment of a charging network is feasible in a city as dense as New York. Their goal is to have 850,000 electric vehicles on New York roads by 2025.
The Quebec Delegate General in New York, Catherine Loubier, took advantage of moderating this panel discussion to highlight Quebec expertise in transport electrification.
Development of a responsible battery industry in Quebec
During the third panel, Hubert Bolduc, President of Investissement Québec International, mentioned the importance of positioning ourselves now to take advantage of the opportunity to develop a responsible battery sector in Quebec. The presence of Hydro-Québec, the richness of our soils in strategic minerals, and our expertise are competitive advantages that place us favorably in the global race for low-carbon batteries.
Éric Rondeau, Senior Strategic Advisor, Batteries and Electrification Initiatives at Investissement Québec International, emphasized that the main driver of battery demand will be the transport industry.
Benoît Couture, President of Recyclage Lithion, presented his company’s sustainable solution for recycling end-of-life lithium-ion batteries: hydrometallurgy.
On this topic, Sarah Houde, President and CEO of Propulsion Québec, also reminded attendees that the cluster had unveiled, in April 2019, a study on the immense potential of the lithium-ion battery sector in Quebec.
Energy transition & circular economy: vision of Recyc-Québec and Hydro-Québec
The final panel discussion of the day highlighted the vision of Recyc-Québec and Hydro-Québec regarding this energy transition and the development of a green battery sector in Quebec.
Both organizations wish to position themselves across the entire value chain of battery and charging station development.
Sonia Gagné, President and CEO of Recyc-Québec, praised Propulsion Québec’s initiative to include the notion of end-of-life battery management in the strategy for a battery sector.
Simon Racicot-Daignault, President of Hydro-Québec IndusTech Inc., underlined the importance of accelerating the energy transition, contributing to a circular economy and integrating life-cycle dimensions into the development of innovative solutions.
Propulsion Québec also unveiled, in November 2020, a study on the management of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries through an extended producer responsibility (EPR) mechanism.
Autobus Séguin and Lion Électrique: focused on the future of the school transportation industry in Quebec
To close this event, Autobus Séguin announced the purchase of 60 electric school vehicles from the Quebec company Lion Électrique. This order will be spread over a period of 5 years.
For this 100% Quebec collaboration announcement, praised by Propulsion Québec, Patrick Gervais, Vice-President, Marketing and Communications at Lion Électrique, and Stéphane Boisvert, CPA – President of Autobus Groupe Séguin, spoke to underline that this is the largest electric school bus order in North America to date!
Did you know?
Each electric school bus put on the road saves 23 tonnes of GHG per year?
Propulsion Québec would like to thank all partners for their involvement in the success of this major event for Quebec’s electric and smart transport ecosystem: the government of Quebec, Québecor, AttriX integrated partner Geotab, Hydro-Québec, Effenco, ABB Canada, FLO, La Compagnie Électrique Lion, Boivin Evolution, and our partner cities: the City of Montreal, the City of New York – Department of Citywide Administrative Services (NYC DCAS), the City of Chicago and the City of Philadelphia.
Cover image: Raphaël Thibodeau
