Electric car rental in Canada: the complete guide

It's becoming increasingly common to find electric models in car rental fleets. 

Whether it's the model you reserved, or one offered as a substitute, here's everything you need to know about renting an electric car during your Canada road trip, to make sure you're well informed and to avoid any unpleasant surprises. 
 

Driving range and charging time

The range and charging time of electric cars is constantly improving.

However, there are still regional disparities when it comes to charging facilities.

Ontario and Quebec have the most developed charging networks, while the Atlantic provinces still have some work to do to improve their infrastructure. 

In general, modern electric vehicles have a range of more than 300 km per charge, which is enough for daily driving needs, but can be more troublesome on a road trip. 

As for charging times, that depends on the charging method and the car model.

Fast-charge stations, which are harder to find, can charge up to 80% of the battery in 30 minutes, while standard home chargers can take several hours for a full charge.

To help you plan your trip with your electric vehicle, here are some average range and recharging times by vehicle. 

Autonomy and recharging time by vehicle

The rental company will be able to provide you with exact numbers for the vehicle you choose, so don't hesitate to ask before you leave!

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Charging networks

The network of charging stations for electric cars includes more than 5,000 charging stations.

They can be found in parking lots, gas stations, hotels, businesses and more.

However, these stations tend to be found near major centres.

If your Canada road trip includes exploring the great outdoors, plan your charging stops in advance. 

Here are the main public charging networks. 

#1. The Electric Circuit

Created by Hydro-Québec, the Electric Circuit covers Quebec and eastern Ontario. If you are taking your car rental in Montreal, it is for you.

To help you plan your itinerary, there's an interactive map showing the location of charging stations.

This map is updated regularly to include new charging stations as they are installed. 

By creating a free account on Electric Circuit, you'll have access to a trip planner tool which will help you better plan your charges along your route. 

You can pay on their mobile app or by credit card. 

#2. FLO

Available across Canada, FLO functions in much the same way as Electric Circuit. 

It provides an interactive map to find charging stations. 

To use the network, you need to become a member online and add funds to your account using a credit card. 

As a member, you'll also have access to Electric Circuit (mentioned above), eCharge Network (New Brunswick) and ChargePoint (United States and Canada), at no additional cost.

#3. Tesla Superchargers 

The Tesla Supercharger network does not currently support other makes of electric vehicle.

Likewise, Teslas are not compatible with regular public charging stations. 

You will find an interactive map of the charging network on the Tesla website. 

While there are over 45,000 stations in North America, the more remote regions of Quebec are poorly served.

For example, there are no stations in Gaspésie or Abitibi and very few in Mauricie and Lac Saint-Jean. 

If you rent a Tesla, find out if it's possible for you to get the charging adapter to use other types of charging station before leaving the rental office. 

Understanding how to use a charging station

• Finding and using a charging station
• Tips from Electric Circuit

Good to know

• It will take longer to charge your vehicle at a Level 2 (240 V) AC station than a Level 3 (50 or 100 kW or higher) DC station. 
• Vehicle weight impacts the range of your electric vehicle. If you won't be travelling light, take this into account when calculating driving range. 
• Plan your charging stop in advance if your daily distance is greater than your rental car's driving range. 
• Don't hesitate to ask questions at the rental desk before you leave with your vehicle, especially if it's your first time driving an EV.
• If you're travelling in winter, I recommend this article on the impact of winter on range and charging. 

And that's it! You're now ready to hit the Canadian roads in your EV Canada car rental!

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask them in the comments below!