QUÉBEC CITY, QUE - Communauto, Hydro-Québec and Nissan Canada are proud to announce the launch of the largest North American all-electric carsharing service, and the first of its kind in Québec. The project will be rolled out until early 2012 , with 50 all-electric Nissan LEAFs added to Communauto's fleet, including 15 available today.

"With this project, Communauto is renewing the innovation of carsharing and its ability to offer residents of Québec a new way to have access to a car, while taking advantage of the latest environmental technologies," said Benoît Robert, president and CEO of Communauto. "Starting with our nearly 25,000 members, all citizens of the Québec and Montréal areas will have access to personal electric mobility for only $37 a year, even if they don't have a parking space to charge the vehicle. Another advantage of carsharing!"

This project was made possible with the support of many partners. The Québec government and Hydro-Québec paved the way for the priority delivery of the Nissan LEAF through their commitment to electric mobility and the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Nissan. The Québec government supported this project through credits and subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles. Hydro-Québec is providing financial and technical support for the charging infrastructure being implemented.

"Today we are taking an important step towards the electrification of ground transportation and the fulfillment of our Electric Vehicles: 2011-2020 Action Plan launched last April. I am proud of our leadership's ability to create favourable conditions for the deployment of electric vehicles. Since 98% of our electricity comes from clean, renewable resources, Québec presents a number of advantages for the introduction of electric vehicles. The integration of these vehicles into Communauto's fleet is another step that confirms Québec's leadership in energy and the environment," said Raymond Bernier, Member of the National Assembly on behalf of Nathalie Normandeau, the Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife.

"Hydro-Québec has been collaborating with Communauto and Nissan for over a year to make this ecologically responsible initiative possible. We are very pleased to be associated with this project that will significantly contribute to the development of electric vehicles in Québec, while offering users our clean, renewable energy. Carsharing will allow a large number of drivers to appreciate electric-powered vehicles," added Pierre-Luc Desgagné, Senior Director - Strategic Planning and Government Affairs, Hydro-Québec.

A number of organizations contributed to this projects by participating in the implementation of charging stations, a prerequisite to making electric vehicles available to all: the cities of Québec and Montréal, the Société Parc-Auto du Québec (SPAQ), the Desjardins Group, Ivanhoé Cambridge, Stationnement de Montréal, the Monastère du Saint-Sacrement in Montréal, the Société Immobilière du Québec, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, the Université de Montréal and the Productive House project.