2017 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY Conducted from November 1 to 10, 2017 and answered by 4,101 of the Electric Circuit s 17,644 members. 1
HIGHLIGHTS The majority of respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the Electric Circuit. Half of the respondents would like more fast-charge stations, especially in Montérégie, Montréal, Lanaudière and Estrie. The comments mainly reflected an interest in having more fast-charge stations in general as well more at each site. The participation rate was much higher than last year (23% compared with 16% in 2016). OVERALL SATISFACTION Overall satisfaction with the Electric Circuit in 2017 remained unchanged from 2016, i.e., 95%. 2
QUESTIONS Do you own an all-electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle or are you an occasional user? Nearly two thirds of respondents (66%) said they owned an all-electric vehicle (EV). A little under a third (30%) said they owned a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). Currently in Québec, 46% of electric vehicles are fully electric and 54% are plug-in hybrids. Is it your household s main vehicle, i.e., the car that is used most frequently? For 92% of respondents, their EV is the most frequently used car in the household. In the case of respondents who own both types of EV, i.e., an all-electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid (2% as shown in the question above), 59% specified that their main vehicle was the all-electric vehicle whereas 41% said it was the plug-in hybrid vehicle. 3
ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CHARGING STATIONS What type of Electric Circuit charging station do you use most often? a) Fast-charge stations (400 volts) Only 25% of respondents said they use fast-charge stations (DCFC) often or very often, and 43% said they have never used a fast-charge station. b) Standard charging stations (240 volts) Standard charging stations are used much more frequently than fast-charge stations. In fact, 43% of respondents said they use standard charging stations often or very often, and only 8% said they have never used one. Have you ever had to wait to charge your vehicle battery at a fast-charge station? A little over half of the respondents (53%) said they have had to wait to carry out a DCFC, particularly in the following locations: Drummondville, Bromont, Laval, and the rest areas in Point-du-Jour and Montebello. 4
Nearly half (48%) of the respondents who had to wait said they waited occasionally for a DCFC, i.e., once per season. While charging your vehicle at a 400-V fast-charge station, do you spend money at businesses near the station? Among the 57% of respondents who used a fast-charge station, most (91%) said they spent money during the charge. In 2016, that percentage was 92%. The percentage of respondents who always spend money was 35%, up from 33% in 2016. In what region would you especially like to have a DCFC? The respondents would especially like to have a DCFC in Montérégie (14%), Montréal (11%), the Laurentides (11%) and Estrie (10%). However, it is important to note that in the province, the highest concentration of EVs is found in the following regions: Montréal, Montérégie, Capitale-Nationale, Lanaudière and the Laurentides. 5
More than two thirds of respondents (68%) do not live near the location where they would like a DCFC to be installed. However, one third (32%), which is a significant percentage, live close to that location. Do you have a 240-V charging station at home? Most respondents have a charging station at home (76%). In 2016, 82% of respondents had a charging station at home. 6
Do you have a 240-V charging station at work? Most respondents do not have a charging station at work (73%) and 62% of them do not consider they need one. The respondents who have one at work (27%) said they use it frequently (53%). 7
SATISFACTION WITH THE ELECTRIC CIRCUIT Ease of subscription Over 97% of respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the ease of subscription to the Electric Circuit, compared with 98% in 2016. Web site user-friendliness Nearly all respondents (93%) said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the Web site s user-friendliness. User-friendliness of the mobile app Most of the respondents (80%) said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the user-friendliness of the mobile app. 8
Geographic distribution of charging stations User satisfaction with regard to geographical distribution is stable (70% are satisfied whereas 28% are dissatisfied). The rates were 72% and 28% in 2016. According to the comments received, and as was the case in 2016, the respondents want more fast-charge stations on the same site in all regions and in major urban centres, primarily to avoid having to wait. Ease in locating and accessing stations Respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied (81%) with the ease of locating and accessing charging stations. Charging experience The vast majority of respondents (96%) are satisfied or very satisfied with their charging station experience. 9
CAA-Québec s service and efficiency Nearly half of the respondents (45%) said they had never had to call CAA-Québec for assistance, compared with 30% in 2016. However, almost all respondents who called on CAA-Québec said they were satisfied with the customer service (20% satisfied and 32% very satisfied). Rates Satisfaction regarding charging rates increased compared with 2016, moving from 79% to 89%. 10
When you start charging your car battery, do you use the mobile app, your Electric Circuit card or CAA- Québec s customer service? More than two thirds of respondents (67%) use the Electric Circuit card to start their charge. The percentage of respondents who use the mobile app (21%) is essentially the same as in 2016 (19%). A quarter of respondents said they use both methods*. *Many answers were possible When you are looking for a charging station, which Web site or mobile app do you use? Most respondents use the Electric Circuit Web site to look for a charging station (80%)*. *Many answers were possible 11
COMMENTS Some 56% of respondents expressed their views on three main topics. Fast-charge station deployment The vast majority of the comments focused on increasing the number of fast-charge stations, particularly the installation of several fast-charge stations on the same site. In addition, this year, respondents often specified the precise location where they would like to have a DCFC. Reserved parking for EVs There were a number of comments about gas-powered vehicles being parked in the spots reserved for EV charging. Respondents asked the Electric Circuit to give these vehicles tickets or have them towed. However, the Electric Circuit s partners (municipalities, businesses or establishments) are responsible for the parking spots. The Electric Circuit regularly educates its partners about this issue. Signs along major roadways Some respondents noted that charging location signage along major roadways should be more visible and easier to identify. The Electric Circuit educates its partners about the importance of clearly indicating the location of a charging station. However, only the Ministère des Transports can update information on highway signs. The Electric Circuit wishes to thank all survey respondents. Their valuable input will help ensure the ongoing improvement of our service offering. 12