Frequently Asked Questions

Please see the  Charging Stations and Prices section.

The locations of all Electric Circuit charging stations are shown on an interactive map in the Find a Station section of the website, which includes a map and complete list of addresses. You can also use the Electric Circuit mobile app to locate our charging stations.

Download the Electric Circuit mobile app     

When a charging station’s status is marked as Unknown in the Electric Circuit app, it means the charging station has lost its connection to our system or is out of order. In such cases, the station cannot be activated through the app. Some stations marked as Unknown can still be activated using the Electric Circuit member card; however, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to charge your vehicle at them.

If you do use your card to start a session at a station with Unknown status, the station will retain the data pertaining to the charge in its internal memory. Billing data will then be sent to our systems once the connection has been restored. Keep in mind, though, that you may only receive the invoice for this charging session a few days later—for example, on a day when you did not charge your vehicle, which could surprise you.

We ask that you keep us informed of any stations with Unknown status by finding the station’s profile in the mobile app and tapping Report a problem. We will immediately inform the partner responsible for the charging station so that they can remedy the situation as soon as possible.

There are two ways to obtain an Electric Circuit card:
1.    On th Electric Circuit mobile app 

• Log in
• Select Account ­> Member Card > Order a member card and  follow the on-screen instructions. 

2.    On the Electric Circuit website

• Go to the My Account section
• Log in, click on Member Card > Order a card, and follow the on-screen instructions

You should receive your card in the mail within 10 business days, but additionnal delays might occur.

A $15 fee (plus taxes) is charged when you order an Electric Circuit card. 

Here is a detailed tutorial on how to order an Electric Circuit member card:

No, it is not currently possible to initiate a charging session at Electric circuit chargers by taping your credit card on the station’s card reader. To launch a charging session, you need to use the Electric circuit card or the Electric circuit mobile app and make sure to add funds to your account using a credit card of your choice. Your account balance will then be used to pay the charging fees and you can ask for the refund of your balance at any time by contacting our customer service team through the “Contact Us” form of our website.

The Electric Circuit member card allows you to start a charging session on the Electric Circuit charging stations and at certain partner networks stations (FLO and Réseau Branché). 

You can order a member card when logged in to your Electric Circuit account. A $15 fee (plus taxes) will be charged per card.

Your card is already activated and associated with your account when you receive it. It uses the funds in your account. Make sure to have added funds to your account to be able to start a charging session.

Watch this video for more useful tips on the Circuit électrique member card:

There are two ways to obtain an Electric Circuit card:
1.    On th Electric Circuit mobile app 

• Log in
• Select Account ­> Member Card > Order a member card and  follow the on-screen instructions. 

2.    On the Electric Circuit website

• Go to the My Account section
• Log in, click on Member Card > Order a card, and follow the on-screen instructions

You should receive your card in the mail within 10 business days, but additionnal delays might occur.

A $15 fee (plus taxes) is charged when you order an Electric Circuit card. 

Here is a detailed tutorial on how to order an Electric Circuit member card:

We recommend that all members gat a card, which complements the mobile application. It allows you to :

• Start a charging session if the telecommunications network is down or cell reception is poor;
• Start charging session if your phone battery is flat, or if you don't have access to the mobile app;
• Start charging at certain charging stations that are in unknown status due to loss of communication with the network.

If you lose your Electric Circuit card, you must declare it lost or stolen in order to cancel it. To do so, log in to your account on the Electric Circuit website or mobile app, go to the Member card section and follow the on-screen instructions.

To replace your lost or stolen card, you must order a new one (a $15 fee plus taxes applies). Until you receive your new card, you can start your charging sessions with the Electric Circuit mobile app. 

If you have found your card and wish to reactivate it, please send an e-mail to support@lecircuitelectrique.com.

If your Electric circuit card is in good physical condition and does not work when you are attempting to start a charging session, try and use it on one of our network's level 2 station whose number starts with “CEA” followed by 5 digits (ex: CEA-10101). If your card is still not working after this test, contact our customer service team by using the “Contact Us” form on our website.

When a charging station’s status is marked as Unknown in the Electric Circuit app, it means the charging station has lost its connection to our system or is out of order. In such cases, the station cannot be activated through the app. Some stations marked as Unknown can still be activated using the Electric Circuit member card; however, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to charge your vehicle at them.

If you do use your card to start a session at a station with Unknown status, the station will retain the data pertaining to the charge in its internal memory. Billing data will then be sent to our systems once the connection has been restored. Keep in mind, though, that you may only receive the invoice for this charging session a few days later—for example, on a day when you did not charge your vehicle, which could surprise you.

We ask that you keep us informed of any stations with Unknown status by finding the station’s profile in the mobile app and tapping Report a problem. We will immediately inform the partner responsible for the charging station so that they can remedy the situation as soon as possible.

If you have problems using an Electric Circuit charging station, call the telephone number posted on the station for assistance from CAA-Québec, available at any time.

Fast-charge stationsIn accordance with Québec provincial regulations, fast-charge rates are indexed at the start of every year. The prices are set in order to support the expansion of the charging network, improve price equity and facilitate access to charging in public places. 

To learn more about the charging rates at fast-charge stations

Level 2 charging stationsLevel 2 charging stations are part of the Electric Circuit network but do not belong to Hydro-Québec. Since June 1, 2022, the charging cost at these stations will be set by the station owners based on criteria determined by the Electric Circuit to promote consistency. The new pricing structure will make it possible to maintain and expand the charging infrastructure. We will also be able to offer reliable and continued service throughout the network while maintaining a competitive charging cost compared with the price of gas. 

To learn more about rates at standard charging stations
 

Electric Circuit card

The cost of activating a charging session using your card is deducted from the funds in your Electric Circuit account. If you do not have an Electric Circuit card, you can order one in the My Account section of our website.

Electric Circuit mobile app

If you are logged in to your Electric Circuit account in the app, the cost of activating a charging session through the app is deducted from the funds in your account. If your app is not associated with an account (in other words, if you have chosen the Browse Charging Stations option), you will be asked to provide a credit card number when you start charging.
•    Download the Electric Circuit mobile app 

Helpline

If you use the helpline to start a charging session, the cost is deducted from the funds in your Electric Circuit account. If you do not have an account, the cost is charged to your credit card using the information you gave during the call. Please note that a $5 fee is applicable for all charging started using our tech support line.

Electric Circuit account

You can use a credit card to add funds to your Electric Circuit account in the My Account section of our website or through the mobile app, under the Balance tab.

The locations of all Electric Circuit charging stations are shown on an interactive map in the Find a Station section of the website, which includes a map and complete list of addresses. You can also use the Electric Circuit mobile app to locate our charging stations.

Download the Electric Circuit mobile app     

Vehicles with a CHAdeMO or SAE Combo socket are compatible with fast-charge stations. Note: Tesla vehicles require a CHAdeMO or CSS adaptor (sold by Tesla retailers).

Several factors influence the power delivered by a charging station, which are almost always related to the  characteristics of the vehicle connected to it, such as the temperature of the vehicle, the state of the battery, etc. In winter as well as in summer, it is very rare that a reduction in charging speed is caused by a faulty terminal.

Yes. The Québec government offers financial assistance for the purchase and installation of a charging station at home. For more information, visit the  EV Drivers 101 page 

Electric Circuit charging stations in Québec 

For detailed information on pricing at fast-charge stations, visit the  Cost of charging page.

Electric Circuit charging stations in Ontario

Pricing at 7-kW level 2 stations in Ontario is determined according to the rate chart that applies in Québec and may therefore vary from one charging station to the next. 

In Ontario, fast charging is offered at 0.49$/kWh when the power supplied is equal or greater than 20 kW. When the power supplied is less than 20 kW, hourly rate of 17.96 $ per hour (taxes included) is billed by the second. For more information, visit the  50 kW cost of charging page.

For information on pricing at a specific charging station, look up in the  Eletric Circuit app  or on the interactive  Eletric Circuit map.

Telephone activation fee
A $5 fee will be charged to your Electric Circuit account for all requests to activate a charging session made through the CAA-Québec helpline. This will be in addition to the cost of your charge. To avoid having to pay this fee, always use the mobile app or your Electric Circuit card.

Electric Circuit card fee
A $15 fee (plus taxes) is charged when you order an Electric Circuit card. If you are a new member, don’t forget that you will have to deposit funds into your account when you receive your card so that you can charge your vehicle at Electric Circuit charging stations.

Mobile App

Please note that all the fees associated with Electric Circuit services are also outlined out in the mobile app.

To offer its partners the best charging stations at the best price, the Electric Circuit issues international calls for tenders. Any company with a product that meets the requirements described in the tender documents can submit a bid. These requirements include stations certified for use in Québec and access to local technical support.

Since the Electric Circuit’s launch in 2011, Hydro-Québec has issued a number of these calls for tenders. For the complete details of tender procedures and supply contracts, contact info@lecircuitelectrique.com.

Please see the  Charging Stations and Prices section.

All plug-in EVs sold in North America since 2011 are equipped with a socket compatible with 240-V charging stations.

For fast-charge stations, please refer to the following question or the the list of supported vehicles in the " Charging " option table on the home page of the web site.

Standard Level 2 charging stations

For standard level-2 charging stations in the Electric Circuit, the charging station’s owner sets the rate based on a predetermined pricing grid. As a result, charging costs may vary from one location to another.
There are two ways to find out the current rate at a particular station:

• Display the charging station in the Electric Circuit app.
• Display the charging station on the Find a station page of our website.

Fast-charge stations

The prices are the same as those that apply to the Electric Circuit’s fast-charge stations. 
For more information on pricing at fast-charge and standard stations, visit the Cost of charging page on our website.

There are currently two distributors affiliated with the Electric Circuit: Bornes Québec and Bectrol.

An affiliated distributor is a company that sells and installs charging stations. Affiliated distributors and the charging stations they offer are certified by the Electric Circuit according to operational and technical criteria that ensure they are integrated into the Electric Circuit network. 

For more information, please write to us at partenaires@lecircuitelectrique.com.

The affiliated charging station is considered part of the Electric Circuit network. However, there are two differences: 

• The way to start charging: Affiliated Level 2 charging stations must be activated in the Electric Circuit app or a compatible mobile app because they don’t have an Electric Circuit card reader. 
• The charging stations’ appearance: although Hydro-Québec doesn’t own the charging stations and they look different, the service quality is the same as the Level 2 charging stations you’re used to.

> Using the mobile app to start a charging session

The Electric Circuit logo is displayed on affiliated charging stations, which also have a sticker with instructions on how to start a charging session. Affiliated charging stations are displayed on the interactive map in the Electric Circuit’s mobile app. They are identified in the same way as other Level 2 charging stations in our network.  

Standard Level 2 Electric Circuit chargers are owned by our partners, who purchase theses stations and decide where to install them. If you wish to suggest a location for standard Level 2 chargers, ask your city or the business owner to contacts us.

To use the Electric Circuit mobile app, your device must be running iOS 12.0 or later (Apple) and Android 5.0 (Google) or later.

When you enable this convenient feature, an amount of $10, $20 or $50 will be automatically added to your balance using the credit card on file when your balance falls below the $10 threshold. 

This ensures that you will always have the funds you need to start a charging session.

Once you are signed into your account in the app, select the “Account” icon at the bottom right of your screen.

Then click on “Automatic payments,” turn on the feature and select the amount you would like to add to your account when your balance falls below $10.
 

Open the app store of your device and type “Electric circuit” in the search bar to find the app.

Once you have located the app, click on “install”.

The app will be downloaded to your device and you will be able to open it once it is completed.
 

When you’re facing an Electric Circuit station, locate the charging station identification number that is located under the station’s display screen. This number is made up of three letters and a hyphen followed by five digits. 

Once you are logged in to your account in the app, type the number of the charging station you want to activate in the search bar at the top of the screen, and then select the charging station by clicking its profile.

You can also identify the charging station by pressing the button intended for this purpose , which will cause the charging station’s light to flash.

To start the charge, press “Start.” Note that if you are not near the charging station, the app will send you a message to validate that you want to start a charge.
 

You can select the type of notifications you wish to receive at the start of a charging session: text message or notification in the Electric Circuit app. If you miss a notification, you can always view it in the app’s inbox.

Once you are signed into your account in the app, select the “Charge” icon at the bottom of your screen. Then select “Charging history.”

You can change the period of time that is displayed by clicking on “Sessions” at the top of the screen.

To view a specific charging session, click on the session and then all of the data relating to it will appear.

Once you are signed into your account in the app, select the “Account” icon at the bottom right of your screen.

Then scroll down and select “My vehicles,” “Add vehicle,” and select the make, model and year, and features specific to your vehicle.

Once you are signed into your account in the app, select the “Account” icon at the bottom right of your screen.

Then scroll down and select “Preferences.”

In the “General” tab, you can choose to receive the Electric Circuit newsletter to be the first to hear news about our network and surveys that allow us to measure your satisfaction and improve your experience, and to enable the use of biometrics that can speed up logins into your account in the mobile app.

In the “Notifications” tab, you can choose to receive notifications about charging sites and stations, your current charging sessions, and your balance and payments made in the app, either directly in the app or by text message, or both!

In the “Charging session alerts” tab, you can determine the conditions that will trigger the app to send you an alert during a charging session, either based on the charge level on a fast-charge station or the charge duration for all charging stations.

With the Electric Circuit app widgets, users can locate nearby charging stations in real time, with just one click.

The widgets (there are between 3 and 5, depending on the telephone) provide information such as charging station power level, availability, how far away they are, the name of charging locations and the networks the charging stations belong to.
When the widget locates several charging stations nearby, only one charging station per location is displayed if they are all the same type. If there are both level-2 charging stations and fast-charge stations in the same location, one charging station of each type is displayed. The available charging stations are displayed first.

How to add an Electric Circuit widget to your cell phone:

Android
1. On the Home screen, touch and hold an empty area.
2. Tap Widgets.
3. Search for the Electric Circuit app.
4. Tap the app’s icon to consult the list of widgets available.
5. Add the widget you want by touching and holding it.

iPhone
1. Touch and hold an empty area on your Home Screen or Today View (swipe right) until the apps jiggle.
2. Tap the Add “+” button (in the upper-left corner).
3. Scroll down and choose the Electric Circuit app.
4. Tap Add Widget. 

How to add a widget to your Lock Screen:
1. Touch and hold the Lock Screen until the Customize button appears, then tap Customize.
2. Select Lock Screen.
3. Tap Add Widgets.
4. Tap or drag the widgets that you want to add to the Lock Screen. 
 

Once you are connected to your account on the mobile app, you will see the interactive map on the home screen.

You need to give the Electric circuit app permission to use the geolocation feature of your device to be able to see the charging stations near your location.

You can use the interactive map filters to customize the type of charging station that appears on the map.

To start a charging session, select the charger you wish to use on the interactive map. You can also type the charger’s number in the search bar at the top of the screen. Confirm that the number of the station you wish to use matches the station’s number in the app, and click on “start” to initiate the charging session.
 

This means that, based on the current data (weather, topology , etc.), the trip would be difficult or even impossible to complete using the selected vehicle. If, however, you believe the route is viable, you can try reducing your car’s maximum speed or the safety margin  (in km) in the trip options.

The current version doesn’t let you specify conditions like temperature or wind speed. 

Based on our data, we know that the charging speed at fast-charge stations drops sharply once your vehicle’s battery is 80% full. Since trying to “fill up” would significantly increase your charging time, you might want to plan an additional charging stop further down the road in order to minimize the overall time for your trip. Note that the app will sometimes suggest charging your battery beyond the 80% threshold. This is so that you can safely reach the next stop on your itinerary. 

Have you gone well beyond the charge level recommended by the app? You can request a new itinerary using your most recent position and charge level.
 

The app uses historical data from comparable vehicles (make/model/battery) and weather conditions to estimate your charge time. Of course, the actual conditions could be very different. You can always personalize your trip by adjusting several settings, including heating or air conditioning and number of passengers, etc. 

Consult the Trip plannier page.

The trip planner uses the latest meteorological data when it calculates a route. New charging stations may also have been added to the route. If you think the proposed route is less efficient than a previous one, we encourage you to share your comments using the link provided in the trip planner.

The current version of the app uses the battery capacity ratings set by vehicle manufacturers. These values apply when the vehicle is new. Unfortunately, the current version of the app cannot indicate a battery’s precise “state of health.” Being able to specify a safe route for a vehicle whose battery is degraded simply involves too many unknown variables. If you still want to use the trip planner, you can increase the safety margin  (in km) to obtain an itinerary with more stops and charge as much as possible at each stop.

Your vehicle does not need to be plugged in to a charging station for you to claim an offer.
For offers that must be paired with a charging session, you will have between one and six hours after the session to claim the offer.
 

The app will show you the amount of time you have before the offer expires. Deadlines for claiming offers are determined by the participating business and may vary from one offer to the next.

No. The offers are only available on the Electric Circuit app. You must download the app and install it on your device.

The offer expires at the end of the countdown.

The first time you charge your vehicle and an offer applies, you will receive a message welcoming you to the promotional offers program.

You can then accept or refuse to receive notifications for these offers. You can also turn off notifications about promotional offers anytime in the Profile tab, by selecting Preferences, then Notifications.

The amount of times you can claim an offer is determined by the participating business for each individual offer and may vary from one business to the next and from one offer to the next. 

The offers can be displayed in different ways:

• A notification on your mobile device’s home screen
• A purple flag or dot on the map in the application
• A Nearby offers section in the app when you view a charging station or a charging site
• A message in the app’s new inbox

Once you claim an offer, a countdown begins. The amount of time available is determined by the participating business and may vary from one offer to the next.

You can view the offers anytime in the mobile app, as long as your device is connected to the Internet. However, some participating businesses may make certain offers available only to members who have charged their vehicles. 

If you agree to be automatically notified about the promotional offers available near the charging stations to which you connect your vehicle, then you will receive a notification as soon as you start a charging session.

Users will be able to easily find ChargePoint charging stations and start a charging session from the Electric Circuit mobile app, just as they do with Electric Circuit charging stations. However, a roaming charging session cannot be started using the Electric Circuit membership card.

Absolutely. In fact, that’s one of the main justifications for this architecture, namely, to accelerate the availability of other networks’ charging stations in existing mobile apps while maintaining the established user experience. Mogile Technologies is already working on integrating other networks and automakers, which is among the many options that will soon be available to EV drivers in Québec and North America.

Yes. To cover service costs, roaming fees will be included in the bill. The fees will be $0.75 for a standard charge and $1.25 for a fast charge, either in Canadian or U.S. dollars, depending on where you charge. There are no roaming fees for charging stations that are free.

The service will be carried out by the network operating the charging station for which the customer service is required. With regard to ChargePoint, service in French is available to assist Francophone EV drivers throughout North America. It can be accessed by phone at the number indicated on the charging station, or from the link mentioned in the mobile application.

Write to us using the following  form , and we’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Yes, of course. Please send us your suggestions and we’ll consider them. Write to us using the following  form.

The marketplace is a platform that provides Electric Circuit members with access to benefits—like charging credits, special offers and discounts on products and services—offered by businesses in the electromobility and energy transition ecosystems.

The promotional offers program provides access to instant promotional offers at places of business located near Electric Circuit charging stations. For more information, go to the promotional offers page and download the mobile app to see all available offers.