The Canadian province of Québec has taken a forward-looking stance on EVs – electric utility Hydro­Québec is deploying public fast charging stations, and the provincial government has funded the development of an electric school bus and research into V2G technology.

Now Québec Premier Philippe Couillard has announced that the province will make 16 million Canadian dollars available to support an R&D initiative, in partnership with Peugeot Citroën and Hydro-Québec subsidiary TM4, to develop new EV powertrain components.

TM4 will develop a new drivetrain based on its MOTIVE series, a turnkey solution for light-duty EV and hybrid applications that features permanent magnet brushless electric motors and power-dense electronic inverters. Peugeot Citroën will lend its expertise in integrating the resulting components, for which it will become the main customer for worldwide distribution.

“Hydro-Québec is delighted to be supporting a real-world project in the field of electric transport, which is a priority for our company,” said CEO Eric Martel. “We play a very active role in the sector with, for example, Electric Circuit, our public charging network for electric vehicles, and our leading-edge technologies developed at the Hydro-Québec Research Institute. The fact that a major carmaker like PSA Peugeot Citroën is taking an interest in TM4 products is a testament to their quality and enviable reputation at the international level.”

“My government intends to make Quebec a standard-bearer in the campaign to electrify transport,” said Québec Premier Philippe Couillard. “Our commitment to the project announced today and our 2015-2020 Transportation Electrification Action Plan are another milestone in the drive to develop the electric car sector, and they will help to spread a culture of innovation throughout Quebec.”

Source: Office of the Premier of Quebec via Green Car Congress