The electrification of transportation takes center stage this weekend at the Center de Foires for the fourth edition of the Quebec Electric Vehicle Show. Visitors have the opportunity to get to know the different types of vehicles, compare them and even try them out.
During the last edition, 9,346 people passed through the show’s turnstiles, generating growing enthusiasm every year.
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE AWD unveiled at the Quebec Electric Vehicle Show | Photo credit: Nicolas St-Pierre
Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault also wanted to emphasize on Friday the importance of the event, which not only attracts many visitors every year but also promotes ecological change.
“Our citizens are joining this momentum, this movement to electrify transportation, and of course we are very proud of that,” says Quebec’s deputy premier.
“Quebec has the largest fleet of electric vehicles of any Canadian province. […] “This means we are a national leader when it comes to electric vehicles on our roads,” she added.
Two models of the 2023 Lexus RZ | Photo credit: Nicolas St-Pierre
In addition, last week the government of François Legault announced the installation of more than 116,000 public electric vehicle charging stations by 2030 as part of its Green Economy 2030 (PEV 2030) plan.
“Bold” goals
There are currently almost 200,000 electric vehicles in Quebec. However, the Prime Minister wants to increase this number to two million by 2030.
Kia EV6 GT model | Photo credit: Nicolas St-Pierre
“Two million in 2030 is bold, but what we see this morning is that everyone involved is there and I think it can only happen from now on,” explains the president and CEO of the Corporation des Concessionaires du Québec , Ian Sam Yue-Chi.
To achieve this, the Environment Minister raised the standard for zero-emission vehicles at the beginning of September.
From 2025, 22% of the cars sold by dealers must be purely electric or plug-in hybrids.
A blow that could hurt
Three major American automakers have been on strike since Friday morning because negotiations that included wage increases failed to reach an agreement.
The impact of this strike by giants Ford, GM and Chrysler at three factories in the United States could actually be felt in Quebec if the conflict is not resolved quickly.
“If the strike continues, there will obviously be a possible impact on supply, which unfortunately will lead to upward pressure on prices,” explains Ian Sam Yue Chi.
“We hope that this conflict will be resolved quickly,” he added.