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Electric Road Trip along the Côte-Nord, Birthplace of Hydroelectricity in Quebec!

Electric Road Trip on the North Shore, the Birthplace of Hydroelectricity in Quebec!

I invite you to follow me on my adventure along the North Shore in an electric car. My daughter and I set off on a sunny July 13th for a journey from Stoneham-Tewkesbury, a small town north of Quebec City, to Baie-Comeau, my hometown (438 km away). It's 7:45 in the morning. The luggage is loaded, and the route is prepared. Right from the start, let's clarify that unlike a gasoline car, when traveling in an electric car, some preparation is necessary. But don't see it as a constraint; on the contrary, finding fast charging stations along our route, thanks to the Circuit électrique app, means planning for discovery stops. I need to plan for recharges because my car (Hyundai Ioniq 2019) only has a range of 200 km compared to newer models that never have less than 400 km of range. The advantage of the network of charging stations along the route from Quebec City to Baie-Comeau is that the stations are never more than 50 km apart. So, there's no need to worry about traveling in Quebec.

I must confess that traveling in an electric car from Stoneham to Baie-Comeau has allowed me to discover another way of traveling. Gasoline cars have accustomed us to making a trip without stopping. Useful? Probably. Long? Definitely. Quite boring? Without a doubt. However, the electric car forces us to stop. Isn't that the true essence of vacations: knowing when to stop? Taking the time to admire and discover our wonderful country instead of rushing from point A to point B. Isn't that also the secret of happiness, to be happy during, in, and by the journey rather than waiting to reach the destination to be happy?

Our first stop will be in Baie-St-Paul. Already, I can smell the scent of the salty breeze mixed with that of the seaweed. It's already the spirit of the North Shore that is starting to inhabit us. I can't wait to share the adventure of the North Shore with my daughter. Next stop: La Malbaie. What's nice about La Malbaie in an electric car is that we have several choices of charging stations: one is located at the mouth of the Malbaie River. So, we can take a short walk on the beach near the bridge on Highway 138 crossing the river. On the way back, we'll also stop in La Malbaie but this time, we'll opt for another station near the Pain d'exclamation bakery. They make desserts... oh my! Divine. :-D

 

 

Prochain arrêt : Les Escoumins. Là, on ne pouvait pas rêver mieux comme halte. La borne se situe dans le stationnement de la Poissonnerie des Escoumins (Pêcherie Manicouagan). C'est tu pas merveilleux la vie! Guédille au crabe, homard ou crevette fraiche, Fish and chips de morue, coquille St-jacques, Tartare 2 saumons, filet de saumon BBQ ou à l'érable, etc. etc. « C'est trop merveilleux la Côte-Nord papa »! Ma fille adore le poisson et les fruits de mer. La joie avec cette borne électrique rapide c'est aussi qu'elle se situe juste à côté de la rivière des Escoumins et d'une petite plage de roche qui donne une vue imprenable sur la baie, la marina et le village. Encore une surprise!  Bon, il faut quand même poursuivre notre route au moins jusqu'à la prochaine borne. Pour nous, ce sera Forestville.

Le voyage où l'on s'arrête, c'est aussi le voyage où l'on fait des rencontres, souvent à l'improviste. En attendant la recharge à Forestville, voilà tu pas deux sympathiques cyclistes équipés pour une longue aventure.  Elles montent la côte à notre rencontre. « Tu vois ça, ma fille, c'est du courage. » Eh bien, ces deux cyclistes se sont arrêtés à la halte touristique où nous étions. J'ai pu apprendre que c'était une mère et sa fille partie de Trois-Pistole pour monter à Baie-Comeau à vélo. Wow! Ça, c'est fort. Une fois rechargé, nous sommes maintenant prêts pour atteindre notre destination : Baie-Comeau!

The journey where you stop is also the journey where you make encounters, often unexpectedly. While waiting for the recharge in Forestville, wouldn't you know it, there were two friendly cyclists equipped for a long adventure. They're riding up the hill to meet us. "You see that, my daughter, that's courage." Well, these two cyclists stopped at the tourist stop where we were. I learned that it was a mother and her daughter who set off from Trois-Pistoles to ride to Baie-Comeau. Wow! That's impressive. Once charged, we are now ready to reach our destination: Baie-Comeau!

The charging station I chose in Baie-Comeau is located on Place Lasalle in front of the Hotel Baie-Comeau, which has one of the most beautiful Blues-Jazz bars I've seen in Quebec. Right across the street, there's also one of the best microbreweries in Quebec: Microbrasserie St-Pancrace. Life couldn't be any better, could it?

Finally, on our return journey, we stopped at an unexpected charging station in Ragueneau. Well, as they say, "I struck gold!" What a breathtaking view of the river and the flats of Pointes-aux-Outardes. Incredible! It's just too beautiful! "Woodpecker, leave me alone, Woodpecker, I don't want to leave anymore!"

The moral of this story: traveling on the North Shore in an electric car is not only feasible but also an unforgettable adventure.

P.S. The network of charging stations for electric cars in Quebec must continue to expand. I must admit that my trip went smoothly because I didn't have to wait for hours at each station. I'm not sure how it goes during the construction holiday, but I bet the wait is probably longer. A small message to our elected officials: it is urgent that the Quebec government accelerates the addition of stations to its network and adds more powerful ones. Aren't we the country of electricity, for heaven's sake?!

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