Electric Circuit: tariff adjustments for level 2 terminals

Following the introduction on April 2 of new pricing at its DC fast charging stations, based no longer on the duration of the charge but rather on the amount of electricity delivered to the vehicle in kilowatt-hours (kWh), the Electric Circuit today announces that adjustments will come into effect on June 1, 2024 at certain standard Level 2 AC charging stations.

Although these 7 kW charging stations are part of the Electric Circuit network, they do not belong to Hydro-Québec. They can be found on the streets of municipalities, on the sites of businesses, hotels, tourist attractions and the like, but it is their owners who set the charging rates according to a grid established by the Circuit électrique, which encourages a degree of uniformity.

Here are the choices offered to owners of charging stations for the price of recharging as of June 1st :

• an hourly rate (ranging from $0 to $3);
• a fixed rate per charging session (ranging from $0 to $20), regardless of duration;
• a rate per time slot (varying between $0 and $3) and per period of inactivity (varying between $0 and $3).

At all times and in all places, the rate will be clearly indicated on the screen of each terminal, and can also be consulted by searching for the desired terminal on the interactive online map or in the Electric Circuit mobile application.

“The adjustments are intended as an addition to the various current rate options (hourly and flat-rate) and are aimed at billing that is better adapted to the nature of parking lots. They are necessary to support the expansion of the public charging network, as well as to ensure the maintenance of a reliable and uniform service throughout the network,” explains Le Circuit électrique in an email.

In June 2022, Hydro-Québec announced that the Electric Circuit would be adding 7,500 new Level 2 charging stations by 2026, under an agreement with Quebec station manufacturer FLO. Of these, 3,000 will be on-street public charging stations, 2,000 will be for Hydro-Québec's fleet and 2,500 will be available for use by other users, such as businesses and municipalities.

The network currently has over 5,000 charging points in service, including some 4,200 standard and 800 fast charging points.