Electric Car Tests in Canada

A collaboration between a Japanese motor company and a Canadian power firm will see as many as 50 electric vehicles being through their paces over the harsh Canadian terrain. Together, state-owned utility enterprise Hydro-Quebec and Mitsubishi will see how the new i-MIEV rechargeable cars can cope with the local climate, and what requirements they present in terms of supporting infrastructure.

Electric Car Trial

The trial will be the largest electric car trial programme yet undertaken in Canada, and is set to take place towards the end of 2010.

Hydro-Quebec is both Canada’s dominant electricity generator, and the largest hydroelectric generator in the world: its network of power stations creates a combined total of over 36,000 MW (based on 2008 figures). Mitsubishi Motors is a prominent Japanese auto firm which, in recent months, has brought its i-MIEV (Innovative Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle) to the Japanese marketplace.

The i-MIEV is capable of travelling 120 kilometres off a single charge, and can be 80 per cent charged in half-an-hour, with the right equipment.

Canada: Electric Vehicles

The i-MIEV design will be tested in Canada in this electric vehicle trial that pre-empts the type’s proposed supply to drivers in North America and - according to those behind it – it is unprecedented in the way it blends elements of the motor and energy industries, along with local business representatives.

“This new pilot project is part of our action plan for the electrification of vehicles. It will allow us to advance our knowledge of the technology and its integration into our grid, which in turn, will help us plan the necessary charging infrastructure for homes, offices and public places”, the chief executive of Hydro-Quebec, Thierry Vandal, explained in comments made at the launch of the upcoming Montreal International Auto Show.

With effect from January 14th 2010, Quebec adopted the same car emissions standards imposed in California, thus becoming the first province in Canada to do so. California’s (and now, Quebec’s) CO2 reduction scheme sees transport emissions reducing by 10 per cent over the coming decade.