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Ongoing

Vélovolt

From car to bike

Vélovolt encourages Quebec citizens, organizations and policy makers to learn about and to try out Electrically Assisted Bicycles (EABs), a new and sustainable mode of human-powered transportation.

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The challenge

78%

More than three-quarters of all commutes to work are made by car.

Our daily commutes increase our environmental footprint, so how can we make them less harmful to our environment while improving our health, our wallets and our surroundings? Rethinking our mobility is essential. We need to encourage alternative forms of transport rather than the solo car by giving priority to active and public transport.

Electric assisted bikes (EABs) have been gaining popularity in recent years. Vélovolt wants to show how the EAB is an effective mobility solution that fits perfectly into Quebecers' cocktail transport.

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“  We need innovative alternatives to solo driving. Through research, promotion, and by providing opportunities to try out electric bikes, Vélovolt seeks to demonstrate how EABs are a viable solution for daily travel  ”

Tatiana Gordine

Vélovolt Projet Manager

Vélovolt in the field.

With the Vélovolt campaign, Équiterre wants to understand how the electric bike can replace the solo car in people's everyday commutes and encourage the implementation of environments favourable to its use.

Every year, Vélovolt offers long-term trials of electric bikes and awareness-raising activities in a number of organisations in Quebec in order to make employers and their employees more aware of this new mode of transport. These trials also provide an opportunity to collect data that will help us to understand the motivations and obstacles to the development of the use of electric bikes.

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Objectives

  1. Create awareness among workers about the advantages of electric bikes for their daily commutes;
  2. Better understand the current state of electric mobility in Quebec, and its potential;
  3. Educate key players in Quebec about electrically-assisted active transportation and give them the tools they need to promote the transition to bikes and EABs.

“Financially speaking, I was able to sell my car, so I no longer have to pay for parking or car payments—it’s really a significant financial benefit.”

Élisabeth Wistaff-Lalande

A believer in the economic and health benefits of e-bikes

The top choice for daily commuting 🚴‍♀️⚡

Élisabeth Wistaff-Lalande share with us the

An inspiring story

The Tousignant-Rousseau family has chosen an electric bike (Video in french only)

Why not ride an e-bike in the winter!

Julie Casgrain enjoys the convenience of an e-bike for her winter commutes (Video in french only)

Julie Casgrain

Project history

2026

May

Report: Electric Bicycles in Quebec: Uses, Challenges, and Benefits

Équiterre has released the results of a 2025 survey of participants in the Vélovolt program, which shows that electric bicycles are a viable and effective mode of transportation for tackling traffic congestion.

August

Video and Guide: How to Choose a Sustainable and Repairable E-Bike

Équiterre has posted a video and a guide online to help people avoid falling into the trap of disposable bikes and choose an e-bike that will last a long time.

2025

In the spring, an initial group of 9 organizations launched e-bike trials in 9 regions of Quebec. In the fall, a second group brought the total to 17 participating organizations for the year 2025.

2024

Spring

Release of the final report

Vélovolt has released its final report, which outlines its findings and key recommendations.

Final cohort

Seven organizations participated in the final round of testing for Phase 1 of Vélovolt.

Winter

E-bikes in winter

Awareness and information campaign on the use of electric bicycles in winter.

2023

Autumn

3rd wave of trials

42 participating organisations in total for 2023.

Spring

Start of trials

First trial cohort of 2023 with 8 organisations in 10 regions of Quebec.

2022

August

Second wave of trials 
 

8 new organizations offer EAB trials.
 

June

Flash trials

Launch of the first edition of the flash trials, in partnership with Hydro-Québec.

April

Trial deployment

8 organizations in 10 Quebec regions offer EAB trials during spring. 162 people were able to test a EAB for 2 to 4 weeks.

2021

September

Pilot project

L’Université de Montréal and the City of Trois-Rivières were the first organizations to test out the Vélovolt EAB trials with their employees.

April

Project launch 

Vélovolt was officially launched with the support of the Quebec government and in partnership with the Association des Centres de gestion des déplacements (ACGDQ) and Quebec’s 8 Centres de gestion des déplacements (CGD).

Related content

Contact principal

Partners:
Other partners:
  • RCEM
  • Centre de mobilité durable de Sherbrooke (CMDS)
  • MOBA
  • Mobili-T
  • Mobio-O
  • MOVIA
  • Roulons vert
  • Tracé

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