Hydro-Québec: Sabia swaps Brochu’s Tesla for a hybrid Volvo

The new CEO of Hydro-Québec, Michael Sabia, did not want the Tesla of his predecessor, Sophie Brochu. The state-owned company has just bought him a luxury hybrid Volvo SUV for nearly $100,000.

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The Tesla Model Y that M usedme Brochu, however, only had a few years of wear and tear and had less than 80,000 kilometers on the odometer, which is relatively low for an electric vehicle.

The car, which cost $73,000 in 2021, will now be used “as a replacement vehicle for the CEO,” the Newspaper a Hydro spokesperson, Louis-Olivier Batty.

“Depending on its use, we will evaluate different options in the coming months, including the possibility of having it available,” he added.

Sophie Brochu abandoned, at the end of 2021, the plug-in hybrid Volvo XC90 which served as her company vehicle. She had swapped it for a Tesla Model Y.

AFP and archive photos, QMI Agency

“Mobile office”

Mr. Sabia now drives a plug-in hybrid Volvo XC90. This spacious sport utility vehicle consumes 3.8 liters per 100 km in hybrid mode and 8.9 liters per 100 km in combustion mode. Its electric range is 53 kilometers compared to around 450 kilometers for the Model Y.

“[Le Volvo XC90 hybride rechargeable] was chosen for its high safety and reliability characteristics and since it will allow the vast majority of trips to be made in electric mode, while allowing long journeys to be made thanks to hybrid mode. This vehicle serves as a mobile office when the CEO travels,” Mr. Batty said.

On the Volvo website, the price of the XC90 Recharge ranges from $84,750 to $96,350 plus taxes. The vehicle acquired by Hydro-Québec has been in service since November.


Hydro-Québec: Sabia swaps Brochu's Tesla for a hybrid Volvo

Michael Sabia

Archive photo, QMI Agency

Higher costs

In 2021, Hydro touted the purchase of the Tesla for Sophie Brochu.

“There will no longer be any greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to the company vehicle,” Louis-Olivier Batty said at the time. Newspaper.

Before purchasing the Tesla, the state-owned company paid $5,000 in gasoline for the approximately 40,000 kilometers traveled each year by Mme Paperback. Last year, vehicle charging costs were less than $1,000. As for maintenance expenses, they had gone from more than $8,000 to around $1,000 per year.

“We are therefore talking about fairly significant gains,” said Mr. Batty, while noting “that a company vehicle lasts for four to seven years.”

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