The unveiling of Quebec’s 2025-2030 Green Economy Implementation Plan last week confirmed that the Écocamionnage program has been relaunched with a budget of $415 million over five years.
This represents an $85-million increase over the previous program, which was temporarily suspended last September, a victim of its own success, as the budgeted amounts had all been allocated, according to a report from our sister publication Transport Routier.
The broader plan, unveiled by Benoit Charette, Quebec’s minister of the environment and the fight against climate change, wildlife and parks, calls for investments of $3.9 billion over five years for the transportation sector, including :
- $433.1 million for the “recharging” component of the Roulez vert program;
- $5.9 million to support deployment of recharging;
- $53.5 million to support the implementation of on- and off-grid charging stations;
- $308.4 million for the private-sector support program for public rapid recharging stations.
The plan targets 6,700 public fast-charging stations by 2030, including 2,530 on the Circuit électrique corridor.
It also announces the development of a low-carbon delivery service in the 100% electric transport corridor between Quebec City and Montreal, for which Propulsion Québec has received government funding. This pilot project, the first of its kind in Quebec, will develop expertise in heavy-duty electrified vehicle delivery.
Optimizing loads
“The project is not limited to the acquisition of heavy-duty electric vehicles: it also provides for the sharing of equipment between different customers in order to optimize loads and thus reduce the number of trailers needed to transport the same volume of goods. By focusing on a collaborative approach and more efficient logistics practices, this project marks an important step towards a decarbonized and innovative delivery model,” the plan states.
When Transport Routier reached out to Marc Cadieux, CEO of the Quebec Trucking Association, he was still awaiting clarification on details of the announcement. “This program has been on pause since Sept. 6. We put a lot of pressure on the government with other partners to renew the program,” he said.
“A total of $35 million will be allocated to Ecocamionnage for the current year, but we don’t yet have a breakdown of the sums that will be allocated over the subsequent four years. This is of course excellent news for the industry, which has been waiting for a budget to be allocated, but we still need to know the details of how the various components of the program will be applied,” Cadieux added.
Propulsion Québec welcomes plan
Propulsion Québec welcomed the measures announced in the fifth edition of the Green Economy Plan.
“Despite an uncertain economic context, the Quebec government is maintaining its commitment to decarbonizing the transportation sector. It has chosen to focus on strategic sectors that contribute to a greener, more innovative and resilient economy. Companies in the zero-emission transportation sector need predictability to invest and innovate, and this plan helps provide clear direction,” said Michelle LLambias Meunier, president and CEO of Propulsion Québec.
However, the organization urged the government to remain attentive to the pace of disbursement of budgeted sums, to avoid premature program closures during the year.
Funding for the actions in the 2025-2030 Implementation Plan comes largely from the Fonds d’électrification et de changements climatiques (FECC) and ministerial appropriations. The FECC is fed mainly by revenues from the carbon market and by the annual share paid to the Québec government by energy distributors.
