PRESS RELEASE – Trois-Rivières, January 23, 2024 – The Energy Transition Valley (VTE) is proud to announce the signing of a historic agreement bringing together leading players in the fields of innovation, logistics, and transportation electrification. This strategic agreement marks a crucial milestone in transforming the paradigms of heavy transport and port decarbonization, while promoting the energy transition in Quebec and North America. This visionary agreement brings together five key and complementary partners in the value chain: the VTE, InnovÉÉ, Groupe Morneau, Elonroad, and Filgo.
Cutting-edge technology and ambitious goals
At the heart of this collaboration is the technological demonstration of the charging system developed by Elonroad. By working with Morneau and Filgo’s vehicles and land, the Swedish company aims to develop the project in Quebec by demonstrating the technological efficiency and economic viability of its technology.
In short, Elonroad’s technology consists of a non-intrusive ground-based conductor rail and an inverted pantograph under the vehicles, enabling automatic electric charging during downtime, whether the vehicles are stationary or in motion. This technology allows for smaller batteries and cheaper, lighter, and cleaner electric vehicles. This allows operators or vehicle fleet owners to save money by switching from diesel to electric. The technology can be applied to all types of vehicles, from buses to trucks, as well as trams. In addition, the technology can be installed at recurring parking locations as well as directly on certain strategic road sections.
A milestone for the future
This partnership is perfectly aligned with the VTE’s strategic priorities. The VTE plays a unifying role in bringing together players such as InnovÉÉ, Groupe Morneau, Elonroad, and Filgo to encourage the emergence of innovations and disruptive technologies, such as the automatic charging system proposed by Elonroad.
With the signing of this agreement and the launch of the project, the partners aim to:
- Accelerate the electrification of transportation and mobility;
- Reduce the energy consumption of heavy-duty vehicles;
- Position Quebec as a leader in this disruptive technology in North America;
- Encourage commercialization opportunities.
Quotes
“Our role at VTE is to bring together and mobilize stakeholders around innovative projects. We are proud to have made this collaboration agreement possible. Working together and ensuring cohesion within the community is crucial to the rollout of the energy transition.” said Alain Lemieux, Executive Director of VTE.
“InnovÉÉ’s mission is to stimulate, support, and fund collaborative research projects. This agreement demonstrates the partners’ commitment to being leading players in Quebec’s energy transition and in the fight against climate change.” said Thierry St-Cyr, President and CEO of InnovÉÉ.
“Static and dynamic automatic charging technologies such as Elonroad’s are certainly a solution for the electrification of transportation, as they will help solve the range issue, virtually eliminate charging time on the road, and reduce vehicle weight with smaller batteries, thereby making them more competitively priced.” and we are proud to be collaborating on this major project,” said Denis Marcotte, Director of Technical Services at Groupe Morneau.
“Sweden, France, where we opened our first subsidiary, and Quebec are three global champions of affordable carbon-free electricity. We are therefore considering setting up our North American production facility in Quebec. Everything will depend on how Quebec decision-makers respond to the consortium’s proposal.” said Valery Prunier, CEO of Elonroad.
“At Filgo, we firmly believe that technological innovation is essential to the energy transition. As a Quebec leader in energy transportation and distribution, we are proud to contribute to this visionary partnership. Ground-based charging technology opens up unprecedented opportunities for the electrification of transportation, with multi-sector applications ranging from electric buses to trams and ports. With its expertise and diversified energy portfolio, Filgo is playing a catalytic role in decarbonization and the implementation of concrete projects in the field, contributing to sustainable mobility for Quebec and Canada.” said Wassim Kanso, Senior Director of Energy Transition at Filgo.
About our partners :
- InnovÉÉ: A Quebec organization that catalyzes innovation in transportation electrification and smart energy by supporting collaborative projects between industry and research centers.
- Morneau Group: A renowned Quebec transportation company with a network of 23 terminals across eastern Canada, Morneau specializes in transportation and logistics and is committed to integrating sustainable practices and technologies.
- Elonroad: A Swedish company pioneering automatic charging solutions for electric vehicles, both static and dynamic, which reduce the societal cost of the transition to electric vehicles.
- Filgo: A Quebec leader in energy distribution, owner of a vast network of multi-energy stations, convenience stores, and a fleet of trucks, and provider of innovative solutions for decarbonization.
About the Energy Transition Valley
The Energy Transition Valley (VTE) is an innovation zone working to develop energy sectors such as batteries, transport electrification, hydrogen, and industrial and port decarbonization. This development is being achieved by bringing together entrepreneurs, manufacturers, municipalities, and the knowledge sector in attractive and sustainable living environments. The VTE aims to establish a world-class research and innovation ecosystem that will develop innovative decarbonization solutions to promote the energy transition.
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Vallée de la Transition Énergétique |
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Florence Harvey Communications and Events Coordinator |