On November 20, Autobus Groupe Séguin inaugurated its brand-new head office in Laval, the first facility designed for the electrification of school transportation.
“We are committed to continuing the mission of founder Gérald Séguin, while investing to leave an innovative company to our children,” says Autobus Groupe Séguin President Stéphane Boisvert.
With this in mind, Groupe Séguin opened its new head office on boulevard Louis-B.-Mayer, accompanied by many of the region’s politicians and influential figures.
Autobus Groupe Séguin is one of the largest transport companies in Quebec, with nearly 350 employees driving a fleet of 330 vehicles. More than 30,000 people board the company’s buses every day in the Laval, Lanaudière, Laurentides and Montreal regions.
For Christopher Skeete, Minister of the Economy, the company’s action plan is an example for other Quebec SMEs looking to modernize.
“This is a Laval family of entrepreneurs that is counting on major investments to computerize its operating systems, create a continuous training centre while setting up a genuine recharging centre for electric buses.”
The new electric buses, which will be deployed daily from Groupe Séguin’s new head office, will reduce GHG emissions by 6,000 tonnes per year.
In Laval, transportation accounts for nearly 70% of GHGs throughout the territory,” reveals Sainte-Rose District City Councillor Flavia Alexandra Novac. “Seeing this company, which has been operating on our territory for over 50 years, commit to a major environmental shift makes us all proud.”
A major group effort towards energy transition
The inauguration of the new centre is part of the company’s Vision 2030 electrification plan. Groupe Séguin partnered with Cléo in 2021, Hydro-Québec’s subsidiary with a mandate to oversee the electrification of transportation in the province.
“Cléo takes charge of the entire charging infrastructure, which includes site design, installation, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure, allowing them to focus on their primary mission,” explains Cléo CEO Jeff Desruisseaux. Cléo will install the 140 charging stations at the new headquarters.
Cléo has also been mandated to set up the intelligent platform that will automatically generate charging plans for the electric buses, so that they receive the right amount of energy to complete their journeys, and at the best possible cost.
Indeed, having a fleet of electric buses imposes a number of constraints, particularly in terms of range and recharging time. The project launched by Autobus Séguin will serve as a model for the entire bus industry.
The project has benefited from numerous sources of financing, including Investissement Québec, the Infrastructure Bank of Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada.
In short, the inauguration of Autobus Groupe Séguin’s new head office will benefit all Quebecers. It’s a real group effort in this race towards the transition to green energy in Quebec!
