A speedy look at the electric car in Quebec

Last week, the Quebec government announced an investment of $420 million to expand the province's electric-transport network.

Simon-Pierre Rioux,the president and founding member of the Quebec Electric Vehicle Association, says more and more Quebecers are buying electric cars.

"The way to see is not, how many cars to buy and put on the roads, it's, how is the market progressing," Rioux said on Daybreak.

"Basically, what's been happening from the very beginning is that sales have doubled from year to year and that's a trend that we see across the planet."

Number of electric/hybridcars in Quebec

• Now: 6,167.
• By 2020: 100,000.

There are an estimated 14,000 electric cars in Canada and one million electric cars in the world today.

According to theQuebec Association for Electric Cars, currently 58 per cent of alternative cars are electric hybrids while fully electric cars make up about 42 per cent of current ownership.

The Quebec government offers a rebate program of up to $8,000 for the purchase or leasing of a hybrid or electric car. Find out which cars are included in the program, and at what rebate, here.

• INTERACTIVE: Find out more about battery life, charging and the costs associated with electric cars here

Number of charging stations in Quebec

• Currently (as of May 31, 2015): 721.
• By Dec. 2016:Nearly 1,600.

The government plansto install 785 public-access charging stations and 60 or so quick-charging stations. It will also askbusinesses to install charging units for employees.

Greenhouse gases

According to CAA:

• Over fiveyears, the average compact car emits17,608kg of greenhouse gases.
• Over fiveyears,the Toyota Prius Cemits8,624kg of greenhouse gases.

Cost per kilometre

According to the CAA driving costs calculator, it would cost:

• 44 centsper kilometre to drive a compact gasoline car.
• 2 cents per kilometre to drive a compact electric car.

For 20,000 kilometres, CAA estimates a driver of a regular car would spend just over $1,900 on gas, while the owner of a Nissan Leaf 100 per cent electric car would spend $368 a year to power their car.