Auto-hydrogen will roll in Quebec

Photos courtesy
The Toyota Mirai 2017 at a meeting promotion of the japanese car manufacturer.

Robert Plouffe

Thursday, 18 January, 2018 00:00

UPDATE
Thursday, 18 January, 2018 00:00

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Quebec will become this year the test bench for the canadian hydrogen vehicles from Toyota, has learned The Newspaper.

The government, through the body’s energy Transition Québec, would like to see roll fifty of hydrogen-powered cars in the framework of a pilot project.

The official opening of the Salon international de l’auto in Montreal on Thursday, the giant Toyota will present its new Mirai (meaning “future” in japanese), a sedan powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The natural Resources minister, Pierre Moreau, will be on-site. His office has refused to give more details on the pilot project on which the announcement was to take place Thursday, but was postponed. However, we know that no public funds would be needed for the moment.

However, it has not hidden its interest in this source of clean energy. “I am of the opinion that, just as electricity, the use of hydrogen will benefit the environment and the economy of Quebec,” said Mr. Moreau.

Rarely discussed in the public square, the hypothesis of the hydrogen, however, is present in the energy Policy 2030 that the government has filed in 2016.

Where do the full ?

Currently, it is almost impossible to refuel the hydrogen in Quebec, where there are only two stations :

• The Institute of hydrogen research at the University of Quebec at Three-Rivers, where there is a research chair.
• Toyota has its own hydrogen filling station at its administrative centre in Brossard.

In Quebec City

It is, however, in the region of the Capitale-Nationale region, where there is no station of its kind, as Quebec and Toyota have agreed to deploy the pilot project.

Discussions are however underway between the japanese manufacturer and other partners to expand the network of stations to hydrogen across the province.

The 50 hydrogen vehicles will be in commercial use exclusively within the framework of the pilot project and not intended for sale to consumers.

But the government wants to attract other manufacturers of this type of car that produces only water vapor.

Quebec, with its surplus of electricity, could become a producer of clean hydrogen thanks to its hydro-electric power.

According to one source, Hydro-Québec may be called upon to play a role, either as a producer, as a partner with private producers.

In 2014, the report of the physicist Normand Mousseau and Roger Lanoue pointed out that with its surplus of electricity, Québec is well placed to become a major producer of hydrogen.

The minister Pierre Moreau has preferred not to comment on this aspect for the moment, ” while acknowledging that the hydrogen has its place in the energy transition in Quebec.

“The solutions to environmental challenges will not be overnight, but I am convinced that hydrogen is part of the solution,” argued the minister.

Entrance door

Fifty percent of electric or hybrid vehicles sold by Toyota in Canada are in Quebec. The japanese giant, with its Prius Premium fully electric, has sold more cars in Quebec since June than he had expected.

In front of these encouraging results, the parent company has authorized the sale of the Prius Premium to the greatness of Canada. Toyota would like to reproduce the same scenario with its Mirai hydrogen.

– With Antoine Robitaille

Toyota Mirai

• Sedan 4-seater
• Range: 480 KM
• Top speed: 170 km/h
• Time to fill the tanks of hydrogen fuel cell: 5 minutes
• Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h: 9.4 seconds
• Adapted to quebec’s winters

In the energy Policy 2030, the government Couillard planned to” support households and businesses who will make the choice to acquire a new vehicle, electric or low carbon vehicles, including hydrogen market is on the horizon “. It is also provided for in the policy ” put in place a pilot project stations multicarburants [gasoline, biofuels, natural gas, propane, electricity, hydrogen], and extend it province-wide by 2030 “.