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.
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.
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.
“ 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 ”
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.
Objectives
- Create awareness among workers about the advantages of electric bikes for their daily commutes;
- Better understand the current state of electric mobility in Quebec, and its potential;
- 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.
Video in french only.
Testimonials
“ I like biking to work because there’s no traffic, I know how long it’s going to take me, plus it’s a great way to get in some daily exercise ”
“ I’m taking part in the trial because I’m looking for a fun and smart alternative to solo driving ”
“ By introducing municipal employees to active transportation, the program is contributing to their well-being and positively influencing their planning work within the city ”
Project history
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
Chargée de projet en mobilité
tgordine@equiterre.org
See profile
tgordine@equiterre.org
