Quebec-based electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure company Recharge Véhicule Électrique (RVE) has announced a new investment totaling over $7 million to support the development and deployment of innovative solutions aimed at democratizing access to home EV charging stations across North America.
The funding comes from three key investors – Fondaction, Export Development Canada (EDC), and Investissement Québec – who are each contributing $2 million.
Additionally, a grant of nearly $2 million from Quebec’s Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie completes the transaction.
Investments to Unlock Widespread EV Adoption
This collaborative investment gives RVE the necessary capital to fully realize its ambitions of making home EV charging universally accessible, according to company co-founder and president David Corbeil.
“This collaboration, which brings together three investors who share our values and vision, gives us the means to achieve our ambitions,” Corbeil said.
“First and foremost, we want to provide equitable, low-impact, sustainable access to home charging for electric vehicles. Whether owners live in a multifamily building or a single-family home, the goal is to simplify everyone’s contribution to a carbon-neutral future.”
The urgency of expanding easy home EV charging options is being recognized by policymakers as well. “Transportation electrification will grow exponentially over the next few years.
It’s important for our government to support RVE’s project, which will help accelerate Quebec’s energy transition,” noted Christopher Skeete, Quebec’s Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region.
Recharge Véhicule Électrique Innovative Tech to Empower the Transition to EVs
A key part of RVE’s strategy is developing smart charging management technologies that optimize electrical capacity in homes and multi-family buildings.
Their patented hardware and software energy management systems (the DCC product line) are compatible with all EVs and charging stations.
These technologies allow optimized charging management without needing to increase electrical capacity.
For multi-unit residential buildings, RVE’s systems enable attributing electricity usage during EV charging to each owner’s individual meter for simplified billing.
“Democratizing access to electric vehicle charging in densely populated areas promotes the electrification of transport in a context where we are seeking to avoid GHG emissions and urban sprawl,” noted Geneviève Morin, CEO of Fondaction.
“With the announced end of the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles, this accessibility makes the transition smoother for people who need to own a personal vehicle.”
Supporting Consumers With Education and Resources
RVE recognizes that providing technical solutions is only one part of accelerating EV adoption. It’s also crucial to educate and support consumers making the transition.
“David and I were lucky to have an electrician as a father who helped us understand the ‘electric’ sector in detail. In order to pass this knowledge on, we created the murbly.com information platform, which offers free support to condo and multi-family building unit owners in the process of implementing a charging infrastructure,” said Marie-Pier Corbeil, RVE’s co-founder and Director of Operations.
Murbly provides guidance for consumers on questions around installing charging stations and options available to them.
Board members and condo managers can also access EV charging expertise through consultations with Murbly experts. RVE’s aim is to make the shift to EVs understandable and accessible.
Accelerating the Transition to Electric Transportation
With transportation electrification poised for massive growth, RVE’s comprehensive approach of providing innovative technical solutions alongside consumer education and resources is key to enabling an equitable transition to electric mobility.
RVE has already been supported by major Quebec and Canadian electric vehicle organizations like Hydro-Québec, the Association des véhicules électriques du Québec (AVEQ), Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) and Propulsion Québec.
And over twenty North American electrical distributors now use their technologies.
This new $7 million investment will allow RVE to scale up its unique EV charging access solutions throughout Quebec, across Canada, and across North America.
Enabling widespread home charging infrastructure is crucial to empowering the electric future. RVE’s consumer-focused approach and enabling technologies are helping drive the transition.
