Electric condos and cars: a solution for charging

The proliferation of electric cars threatens to worsen the overload of the electricity network during peak periods, when all these vehicles return to the fold to stock up on energy. Axso, a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, created a solution to this problem with a tool called Eddie.

This new charging management tool, which has been tested on a small scale in recent months, is now available throughout Quebec. According to Axso’s president and CEO, Alexandre Bérubé, Eddie has a dual objective: to help Hydro-Québec manage peak demand and to make life easier for electric car owners who live in condos and multi-unit buildings where charging is complex.

This technology designed in Quebec makes it possible to distribute energy consumption in real time across all the terminals installed in a building, thanks to the installation of a common electrical infrastructure managed by the syndicate of co-owners or the building manager.

The app Eddie

The owner of an electric car will be able to continue to plug their vehicle into its terminal when arriving home, but charging will be managed by the application Eddie which will ensure that all connected vehicles in the building will have been recharged the next morning before 6 a.m., the start of the period when the electricity network is most in demand.

Data collected by the company indicates that an electric vehicle stays plugged in 12 hours a day, but only needs 2 to 3 hours to have enough battery life for normal use. The algorithm adapts to the needs of users with less typical schedules.

There are currently 250,000 electric vehicles on the roads of Quebec and their number could reach 2 million in 2030, according to government forecasts.

Building managers are looking for ways to offer charging services more cost-effectively, he says. The solution makes it possible to serve more terminals in a building, without necessarily increasing its electrical capacity, which requires costly investments.

A brake

The absence of a charging solution in condo buildings can also be a barrier to purchasing an electric vehicle. Axso will make life easier for occupants: owners of electric cars will each have their own terminal and will pay for the energy they consume, while the building manager will be responsible for the electrical infrastructure installed in a common area.

Like all commercial customers, buildings connected by Eddie will be able to participate in interruptible energy programs during peak periods to reduce their energy bill.

Eddie has been tested so far in seven buildings, including the Jules-Dallaire complex in Quebec, which has 212 parking lots for residents.

Axso is now ready to deploy its technology throughout Quebec “to start,” says Alexandre Bérubé. The company is eyeing the Toronto and Vancouver markets in a later phase of growth. The company currently employs 36 people, a number that is expected to increase as demand for its service increases.