The federal government is allocating $8 million to six electric vehicle (EV) battery and charging initiatives by Québec companies via Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Energy Innovation Program (EIP).
The projects aim to tackle operational issues for electric work vehicles, including medium-and heavy-duty commercial fleets, utilizing Canadian intellectual property. This funding is part of a broader $25 million NRCan mission to enhance EV charging access and reduce freight transportation emissions.
Gamotech received $2 million, the highest of the EIP-funded projects, to develop mobile auxiliary energy storage and distribution systems for powering job-site equipment on heavy-duty trucks. Public construction equipment like lifts, drills, and saws generally runs on energy from an idling truck engine, leading to fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Gamotech offers a solution with a large lithium-ion battery system integrated into a trailer or truck.
Other benefitting companies received $1.5 million each from EIP, including Polara Energy for developing an energy-efficient EV charging infrastructure, EV Technologies Inc. for creating a more durable commercial vehicle battery, and Calogy Solutions for building a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack prototype for medium-and heavy-duty vehicles.
Mogile Technologies obtained $930,000 to supply EV infrastructure data, detailing uptime, charging success, power output, and reliability, while Destrier Electric secured $600,000 to enhance the lithium-ion EV battery charging process in northern or remote regions.
“Through these projects, we are delivering practical solutions for Quebecers with EVs and working with Québec industry to advance the decarbonization of the transport sector while reinforcing our supply chains and energy independence,” Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson stated.
The NRCan funding comes after a turbulent period for Québec’s EV sector, such as Québec City’s Flo closing its Shawinigan plant and laying off around 80 employees recently. Additionally, Montréal-based Lion Electric and Swedish battery company Northvolt, which launched operations in Montréal with financial backing from provincial and federal governments, both declared bankruptcy this year.
The Québec auditor general’s office is also investigating the millions in subsidies granted to the electric battery sector by the province.
Recently, NRCan provided $2.5 million from the EIP to an Ottawa-based carbon capture startup TerraFixing. The initiative intends to boost direct air capture technology (DAC) in cold climates by expanding CO2 capture beds using zeolite, a porous mineral, and enhancing the mass transport of captured CO2. The project’s ultimate goal is to integrate a 1,000-tonnes-per-year DAC unit into a shipping container.
Feature image courtesy Gamotech.