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April 23, 2019

Newsletter

Democratize the electrification of transportation in Quebec companies and organizations

For the past 2 years, the Flotte Rechargeable project, initiated by the Innovative Vehicle Institute, has been travelling throughout Quebec to meet companies wishing to experience electric vehicles. From the Coop FA to the City of Mont-Tremblant an Armoires Tremblay, all of them had a 100% electrical experience. Following this opportunity, some companies, like Piedmont rotisserie, consider integrating EVs in the near future.

Informing and sensitizing

One of the main objectives of this project is to show Quebec companies and organizations that a fleet of electric vehicles is economically advantageous and can meet their needs. A survey conducted as part of the project, among 200 employees who completed the experience, revealed that 80% of them had never driven electric vehicles before. In addition, several of them were apprehensive before starting the experiment, especially about battery life. This was a major concern at Videotron, where Martin Dagenais, Vehicle Acquisition & Disposal Supervisor, points out that

“the employees who participated in the project were afraid of a lack of autonomy, while no one came close to lacking it”.

It is interesting to note that, at the end of the trial period, 75% of employees saw no change in their work efficiency and that 80% of them think that an electric vehicle could be suitable for their company’s needs. This is the situation at Coop FA, where business and partnership manager Pierre-Yves Renaud explains that

“the tests have consolidated our interest in acquiring an electric vehicle”.

Thus, the training given by the electric fleet expert and the test drives considerably help to destigmatize and dispel some of the myths that stick to electric vehicles.

Tools for fleet managers

Although the aim of the Flotte Rechargeable project is to inform and sensitize, it is also part of an applied research approach. The tests carried out by the companies allow significant data to be collected, including battery life, idle time, state of charge, duration, amount of charging, etc. These data, because they are based on real experiences, have made possible the creation of very precise tools for fleet managers.

First, the guide, written by an expert in electric fleets, allows fleet managers to analyze their company’s operating context, identify the issues, select a transition solution and deploy it. This innovative tool aims to democratize the transportation electrification. This is the very first guide to assist decision-makers in the transition to electric vehicles.

Then, the simulator is used to test different road courses to determine the electric vehicle model that best suits the company’s needs. For example, it is possible to simulate a route, choose the outdoor temperature, enter current vehicle odometer, configure how many days per week the vehicle will be used, etc. This tool is useful to fleet managers, as they must ensure the viability of the selected electric vehicles.

Partenaires stratégiques

Gouvernement du Québec
Fonds Vert

EV Duty , Bourgeois Chevrolet , Nissan Gabriel , Véhicules électriques Simon André , Mercedes-Benz Kia FCA

Partenaires de soutien

Équiterre , Maillon Vert , Conseil régional de l’environnement de l’Estrie