Quebec takes a major step toward preparing residential buildings for EV charging
STATEMENT
Montreal, March 16, 2026 — Propulsion Québec, the Canadian Charging infrastructure Council (CCIC), and Electric Mobility Canada (EMC) welcome the amendments to Chapter V – Electricity of the Construction Code, which introduce new requirements related to electric vehicle charging in residential buildings.
The new regulation maintains the requirements to provide the electrical infrastructure needed to support charging equipment in homes and buildings with four units or fewer. It also introduces new obligations for residential buildings with five units or more, which will now be required to include basic electrical infrastructure allowing for the future installation of Level 2 charging equipment for all parking spaces. It also recognizes the role that EVEMS has in enabling charging infrastructure at scale, utilizing as much existing capacity as possible while minimizing costs for developers.
Key elements to support charging in all types of housing
In recent years, the EV charging industry has worked closely with the Government of Quebec to modernize the Construction Code. The provisions announced in the new Code will facilitate the deployment of charging stations across all housing types. This represents an important step forward for zero-emission mobility in Quebec.
As EV adoption continues to grow in Quebec and across Canada, preparing buildings is an essential step to support the energy transition and make home charging more accessible. This regulatory evolution also sends a positive signal to the charging ecosystem by encouraging better infrastructure planning and the development of a reliable and accessible charging network.
However, our organizations recommend that the Government of Quebec deploy the financial program that has been announced for more than two years for upgrading electrical infrastructure in existing buildings with five units or more. We also recommend implementing a pilot project aimed at supporting “charging orphans”, meaning households that do not have access to charging at home.
“Nearly 90% of electric vehicle charging takes place at home or at work. These new requirements will help improve access to charging and accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles in Quebec. We commend all the collaboration between industry and the Government of Quebec of to achieve this important milestone.” – Alexis Laprés-Paradis, CEO of Propulsion Québec.
“Quebec has long been a champion of electric vehicles and charging, and these amendments continue to showcase Quebec’s leadership in building a decarbonized transportation system that works for all Quebecers. With these requirements, residents of new multi-family dwellings receive a real opportunity to access charging infrastructure and save money from driving electric, like single-family home residents. CCIC commends the Government of Quebec, industry stakeholders, and all individuals involved in the preparation of these amendments.” – Travis Allan, President and CEO of CCIC.
“While we welcome this progress, we must also note that more than two years after the Government of Quebec announced its Charging Strategy, partly financed through the reduction of electric vehicle purchase incentives, the time has come to deploy the funds dedicated for multi-unit residential charging infrastructures” – Daniel Breton, President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada.
