“We feel that our consumer rights and our rights as individuals have been completely forgotten in this,” says Jessica Beaumont, owner of a two-wheeled electric vehicle affected by the ministerial order of July 30. Since the publication of this order, it has been prohibited in Quebec to drive on public roads with electric vehicles that look like motorcycles without being registered.
“There was no discussion, it’s really a big injustice.” Mme Beaumont bought his vehicle five years ago. When he bought it, he was assured that because it had pedals, was limited in speed and power, and could not be registered, it was legally an electric bike.
The main reason behind choosing this means of transportation? “It’s very economical, in terms of time, energy and money,” she says. She used it nine months a year, only putting it away for the winter. “I used it every day, it saved me money on public transportation.”
The same observation was made by Chrystian Hamel, for whom using his electric vehicle represented a unique ecological alternative. Instead of taking a car to make his five-kilometre journey to work, he used his scooter while riding on the bike path on Boulevard de la Grande-Allée in Boisbriand.
Since the announcement by the Ministry of Transport, Mr. Hamel has made it his mission to inform and help other electric scooter owners. He is very active on Facebook pages that bring them together and is in the process of filing a complaint with the Québec Ombudsman against the government.
The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) says it is unable to provide figures on the number of these vehicles present in Quebec, as they “are not registered there and, for the most part, are not declared when they are imported into Canada.”
Vehicles gathering dust
Both Jessica Beaumont and Chrystian Hamel lament the lack of notice given to them about the news, but are aware that even if they had been warned in advance, they would not have been able to do anything. “It is not possible to register them,” explains Mr. Hamel. Mme Beaumont wanted to register his vehicle so that it would “stop gathering dust” in his garden, but was refused.
The owner of the ZoomRide scooter and other electric vehicle store, Rachid Farissi, confirms that several customers have asked him if it is possible to register vehicles affected by the ministerial decree.
In an email, the SAAQ indicated that “it is not possible to register non-compliant motorcycles and mopeds covered by the ministerial order of July 30.” The SAAQ cites as reasons the mechanical components that are “generally of poor quality compared to those present on certified vehicles,” the absence of “compliant and certified equipment that confirms that they are safe to be integrated into road traffic,” such as headlights or lights, and the “questionable performance” of the vehicles, which can represent a safety risk.
“Chaos” for the industry
The electric vehicles affected by the ministerial order represented “40 to 50%” of the Montreal store’s sales and rentals, reveals Rachid Farissi. “It affected us economically. It’s really chaos for this industry.”
In the days following the ministry’s announcement, Mr. Farissi agreed to refund or exchange customers who had recently purchased vehicles that had suddenly become illegal.
A month later, he finds himself with a huge stockpile of these electric scooters, which he can hardly get rid of. “I don’t know if we’re going to get through this,” he admits, looking defeated. Even if the rules were to change, “the damage is already done. The loss is there.”
The ministerial order is valid for 180 days. The government can therefore renew, cancel or modify it in February 2025. In an email, the office of Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault emphasized that “no final decision has been made regarding [son] renewal or not”.
According to Rachid Farissi, the majority of owners agree with regulation, but find the one decreed too severe and poorly representing the situation. “We would like to have a status between a bicycle and a registered electric scooter,” explains the owner of the ZoomRide store.
Given the unique aspects of the vehicle, “training that is either not mandatory or affordable” and a “not too expensive plate” would be attractive options. “It doesn’t make sense that we pay the same as everyone else, because it’s not the same product,” Farissi said.