Charge your EV on the road

On the road: public charging networks

Most EV drivers occasionally charge their vehicles on a public network, generally during long trips that surpass the vehicle's range.

Today, it’s very easy to travel almost everywhere in Quebec by electric car. Charging stations are located in a wide variety of locations, close to businesses and services.

Charging your electric vehicle on the road

For charging on the road, the wise EV driver plans breaks according to the vehicle’s charging needs. A stop at a tourist destination, a meal break or a snack all become opportunities to plug in. Public charging networks include three types of charging stations: 240V charging stations, DC fast-charging stations (DCFC) and Tesla Superchargers.

Useful applications for finding public charging stations

To locate charging stations along the various networks, EV drivers can consult one of the mobile applications offering this service. The most widely used in Quebec are the Electric Circuit mobile application, which locates its own charging stations and those of partner networks, and the ChargeHub application, which includes the charging stations of all public networks in Canada.

These two applications also offer a trip planning feature that is very useful for longer trips. The EV driver can input the final destination and the application pinpoints charging options along the way, taking into account the driver’s registered vehicle. These applications also make it possible to check the status of targeted charging stations (available or in use, for example).

Google Maps also offers this feature for finding charging stations along your route.

A constantly expanding network

New public charging options are being added all the time. There are more than 30,000 public charging stations in Canada.

The main networks are:

• Electric Circuit from Hydro-Québec
• Flo
• Petro-Canada
• Tesla
• EVduty
• ChargePoint
• Electrify Canada
• BC Hydro (in British Colombia)
• IVY (in Ontario)

Types of public charging stations

Depending on trips, planned stops and vehicle compatibility, an EV driver will choose between a 240V charging station, a DC fast charging station (DCFC) or, for Tesla vehicles, a Supercharger.

Public 240 V charging stations

• Compatible with all plug-in vehicles.
• Two types of rates: by session ($0 to $10 ) or by the hour ($1 to $3).
• Charging speed of 30 to 40 km per hour.
• Often called "destination" charging, usually for a stop that is longer than an hour.
• Suggested activity while charging: shopping, eating at a restaurant, catching a movie, visiting a tourist site, overnight stay at a hotel, etc.
• Sometimes, these charging stations can also be found in park-and-ride lots for public transport.

DCFC

• Compatible with all-electric vehicles equipped with a fast-charge port.
• Plug-in hybrids are not compatible with DCFCs, with the exception of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
• Charging speed of 150 to 200 km per charging hour. More and more ultra-fast stations are emerging, with charging speeds of up to 300 km per hour. However, only a few very recent models can currently take full advantage of them.
• For a stop generally shorter than an hour, during long trips.
• Suggested activity while charging: snacking, shopping, walking around.

Tesla Supercharger

• Compatible with Tesla vehicles only.
• Variable pricing depending on models and packages.
• Charging speed of 300 to 400 km per hour.
• Usually for a stop under 30 minutes, during long trips.
• Suggested activity while charging: snacking, shopping or walking around.

Good public charging practices

Spaces next to charging stations are reserved for charging electric vehicles. Once a charging session is completed, the vehicle must be moved to free up the charging station.

Spaces reserved for charging. It’s the law!

Since May 18th, 2018, article 388.1 of the Highway Safety Code stipulates that «Only electric road vehicles and plug-in hybrid road vehicles may stop in a space reserved for recharging electric vehicles [...] if they are plugged into a charging station».

There is no need to stay near the vehicle while charging. The EV driver takes note of the estimated time of completion of the charge indicated by the car or using the charging station’s app, and makes sure to return before the end.

But once the charging session is over, the vehicle must be moved to free the access to the charging station.

Recommendation: 80% maximum at a DCFC

At DC fast charging stations (DCFC), it is recommended to stop charging once the battery level is at around 80% since the charging speed decreases when approaching this point.

Since public charging is billed by the minute, it becomes increasingly expensive beyond 80%.

If more energy is needed, it may be better to continue charging at a 240V station. If another DCFC station is available along the way, an efficient option could be to continue the trip and to charge later on. That way, fast charging is done in optimal conditions, reducing total time and cost.

Even more options for EV drivers

Electric vehicle charging offers increasing flexibility through a variety of options at home, on the road and at work. By understanding these options, drivers can optimize their electric driving experience while contributing to sustainable mobility.