An added benefit of being an electric vehicle (EV) driver in Quebec will continue for at least one more year.
Originally launched as a pilot project in 2016, the Quebec government announced its intention Friday to extend its toll-free program for EVs into 2021. As a result, all EVs registered in the province will continue to be able to travel toll-free along highways 15 and 30.
“The purchase of electric vehicles must continue to be encouraged so that they are more and more numerous on the roads of Quebec,” said Francois Bonnardel, Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Eastern Townships region in a statement.
The province has seen an exponential increase in the number of EVs participating in the program. In 2016, 157,000 EV drivers didn’t have to pay tolls. In 2019, that number skyrocketed to 1,100,000.
To avoid having to pay the tolls, EV owners must contact Concession A-25 or Nouvelle Autoroute 30 to obtain a transponder and open a customer account.
Quebec has one of the highest rates of EV adoption in Canada thanks to a generous $8,000 provincial rebate, the highest in the country. That trend is likely to continue as the province recently announced plans to phase out the sale of new gas cars by the year 2035.
