Frequently Asked Questions

RVE stands for Recharge Vehicule Electrique, which translates to Electric Vehicle Charging, and this is what we facilitate. We do not sell chargers but we make it possible for those who have limitations due to building infrastructure or electrical capacity to use their chargers with no additional impact to a home’s existing condition.

RVE offers solutions to any individual or group encountering an obstacle when implementing charging in their home. The RVE solution typically involves guidance in the form of analysis of the different obstacles (in terms of electricity, construction, and policy), and recommendations of our own in-house technologies and expertise.

An internal RVE team handles relationships and contracts with stakeholders in the electrical industry, be it electrical product distributors, electricians, electrical engineers, or real estate developers looking to prepare their new or existing buildings to be EV ready.

RVE’s sister brand, Murbly, handles projects in the retrofit sector, be it developers, condo board representatives, or owners of condo units and multi-unit homes. RVE’s products, the DCC by RVE, and others soon to be released, are developed by an internal team of electrical engineers and electricians who handle research and development.

RVE’s products, the DCC by RVE, were developed in Quebec and are manufactured by a Quebec owned company, Thermolec Ltd. RVE has formed partnerships in the electrical industry, with Lumen, Westburne, Gescan, Qmerit, FLO, and a growing group of others; in the utilities, government and policy sector with Hydro Quebec, National Resources Canada (NRCan), AVEQ, Electro Federation Canada (EFC), Electricity Canada, Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), Propulsion Quebec and Deloitte; and the real estate and development sector with RGCQ, CMEQ,and a growing number of partnerships between RVE and property development firms across Quebec and British Columbia.

An electric vehicle charger, like all other electrical products with batteries, is the equipment that connects an electric current to the device that needs a charger, the electric vehicle. Electric vehicle charging stations are stationary and can be found publicly for pay (ex. at a service station), or in your parking space at home.

While some electric vehicle chargers have features that can determine how much power is being drawn by a vehicle and the stress this puts on a home’s infrastructure, not all chargers will communicate this information between each other, and many chargers will not be able to regulate power distribution efficiently. An electric vehicle energy management system, often located within the electric infrastructure itself, will only power EV chargers when there is capacity (available power) that can be distributed to the EV. In many homes, both an electric vehicle energy management system is required alongside electric vehicle chargers.

RVE offers energy management systems for all kinds of properties: condos, multi-unit buildings, single-family homes, and townhouses. Each of these building’s structures will have a different layout (i.e. different electric infrastructure), and will therefore need to be treated as unique. In response, RVE created products for each unique context; DCC by RVE products are built for homes with both accessible and inaccessible metering situations, are compatible with chargers and all EVs and simplifies billing.

We call it the RVE Solution because a solution to a problem typically requires an outcome and advice. Our expertise made it easy to design a product to serve the outcome: the DCC by RVE. We want to offer this product to you but also make sure that it is a good fit for your unique situation (since all buildings are built differently). Our sales team and staff of technical experts are trained to be able to identify which product will serve your situation best and provide guidance and advice to a number of stakeholders in the process.

For example, if you are finding it difficult to gain a majority vote to have chargers installed in your condo, we have tools to explain how to break this down through our sister company, Murbly – with more information about Murbly provided below. All of the hardware, software, and human and digital resources designed by RVE make up the RVE Solution.

In Canada, RVE products can be purchased from distributors of electrical equipment such as Lumen, Westburne and many others across the country. For US customers, they can be purchased through our online store, on the Raiven platform for Qmerit contractors or from Warshauer Electric Supply.

For details on either, please contact sales@rve.ca for further information.

Yes. However, it is the customer’s responsibility to ensure the compatibility of all the charger’s functionalities with the DCC’s load shedding.

In Canada and the United States, approximately 5% of homes and 70% of multi-unit residential buildings do not have sufficient capacity to power multiple electric vehicle charging stations alongside existing energy needs. As vehicles move away from being gas-powered towards being electric-run, homes will need to be outfitted with the correct infrastructure to support this change. It is becoming the standard that homes are charged at home and only “topped off” at work or when on the road.

An electric meter is most often located in an electric closet or room at the basement or lower level of a building. However, an electric meter may also sometimes be placed in a penthouse or on the roof, which we refer to as an inaccessible metering situation. For a more detailed explanation, refer to the Murbly section of the FAQ.

An energy management system needs to be installed closest to the power source which is most often located on the ground floor of a property, indoors or outdoors. Installation will involve changes to electrical infrastructure, and as such, should only be carried out by a qualified electrician, preferably one that is certified to use electric vehicle supply equipment or EVEMS. An RVE representative would be able to guide you towards finding one.

Full or 100% EV readiness means that all units with parking spaces have the potential to have enough power supplied to them to charge electric cars. It does not mean that all parking spaces must have electric vehicle chargers installed at them. We offer a product that prepares the infrastructure for 100% EV readiness, the DCC-BOX by RVE, that can be readied at the same moment a homeowner would like to install an EV charger at home, both ensuring that the space has electric power and electrical capacity.

Canada intends to minimize and then completely stop the sale of gas and combustion powered vehicles starting in 2035. As of 2035, the transportation industry will need to make strides towards the democratization and securing of electric energy. RVE intends to prepare homes for this change well before the change arrives.

We are working on compiling a list of all the latest municipalities with new EV ready regulations. Until then, searching your municipality and the terms “electric vehicle”, “EV ready” and/or “urban planning code” and/or “zoning bylaw” will give you results relating to how your city and neighborhood is developing to become EV friendly.

We are working on compiling a list of all the latest rebates for each province. Until then, searching your province and the terms “electric vehicle”, “EV ready” and/or “rebate” will give you results relating to how your province is developing to become EV friendly. Or visit the following source: https://www.caa.ca/sustainability/electric-vehicles/government-incentives/

Full or 100% EV readiness for a province means that all individuals have access to stable and available energy to power transportation with minimal impact to the utility grid.

Charging can take place on three levels, each relating to a different speed and configuration. Level 1 charging is the slowest, level 2 charging is faster and the standard for at home charging, and level 3 (or fast charge) is the fastest but only available in the form of public charging.

To read up on these types, visit: https://www.hydroquebec.com/transportation-electrification/electric-vehicles/charging.html

The set up in each building is unique, changing depending on the type of home lived in and where the components are installed in the home. Single-family homes typically have an electrical service panel with breakers and an electric meter, both located relatively near the parking space where the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or EV charger will need to be installed.

The configuration for a multi-unit residential building (MURB) or condo might have the service panels and electric meters located much further apart, and they can also sometimes be located at a great distance from the parking spaces. No matter the home and configuration, the service panels will need to have a dedicated breaker and the electrical capacity to charge as many electric vehicle chargers as required. In cases where components are inaccessible, or when service panels are at capacity, a cost efficient solution might be an electric vehicle energy management system or EVEMS. Always contact a qualified electrician or electrical contractor when making any changes to the electrical infrastructure in your home.

To read further, visit: https://electricvehicles.bchydro.com/charge/choosing-a-home-EV-charger

The energy load refers to how much current is being demanded by users of electrical equipment at any given point. One would easily and rightly suspect that charging an electric vehicle poses a demand or adds a load to the electrical capacity of a building comparable to that of a large appliance, such as an oven or a hot tub. The barrier of powering many electric vehicles at once, or powering even a single electric car on infrastructure that is close to capacity, can be solved by using an EVEMS or what is sometimes called a load management system, load shedder, or a demand charge controller in the electric industry. The EVEMS, such as the DCC by RVE, will account for and control the loads automatically, without adding any additional load to the circuit, and without significantly affecting the speed of charging.

To read about EVEMS in detail, visit: https://www.csagroup.org/article/research/electric-vehicle-energy-management-systems/

The two most common alternatives to EVEMS are upgrading electrical infrastructure (which can be costly), or in the case of a MURB or condo, sharing a charger between EV owners (which can be inconvenient and might require additional management and time-blocking).

This means that the charger is not powered. The total charge is less than 80% and the recovery time is in progress. Each flash corresponds to two minutes before the power supply to the charger is restored. Example: 3 flashes = 6 minutes before power is supplied. During this period, if the total charge exceeds 80%, the recovery time will be reset to zero.

Most of the time (95%), it is due to an incorrect configuration of the DIP switches. Be sure to follow the proper installation diagram (see installation manual). A very small part of the time (5%), it means that one of the DCC components is defective.

No, although they are designed for electric vehicle charging, all DCCs work for any other type of load. However, it is the electrician’s responsibility to ensure that alternative use is safe and complies with the electrical code.

DCC is compliant with the Canadian Electrical Code and the National Electric Code (NEC) 70-619 Article 750.

Certifications: UL Listed and CSA (CAN/USA C22.2 14-13 UL 508, 17th Ed.)

Local inspectors may not always be familiar with the DCC. It is recommend to share DCC specifications with inspectors, prior to purchase, for familiarization and approval..

DCC is available in the United States and in Canada.

Murbly, a play on Multi-Unit Residential Building, is an educational platform that was developed to respond to insights made as RVE grew within the retrofit sector. RVE co-founder Marie-Pier Corbeil was in a position to observe the way apartments, and condos, stratas, and their respective boards operated, noting the precise knowledge and needs that an EV charging project required. In response she assembled a team to construct Murbly to provide free information and resources intending to help those in this sector more easily overcome the barriers involved in multi-unit residential building EV charger projects.

To view Murbly’s content, visit https://murbly.com/en/

Murbly is primarily a digital platform offering videos that explain some of the more technical nuances to charging; templates that range from surveys to information requests to charging policy samples; case studies that prove charging projects can be successful in a multitude of contexts; and a walk-through guide, sponsored by National Resources Canada, that visually demonstrates the steps typically required of an EV charging project. Murbly has also started to offer consultation on projects that require additional management and feedback.

To determine whether your project is a good fit for consultation, visit and fill out the support form at https://murbly.com/en/contact-us/

Murbly aims to demystify the technical elements relating to the unique infrastructure context of your home by presenting two main topics: the concept of accessible and inaccessible metering scenarios, and the difference between approaching an EV charging project on an individual-request basis versus a global, or fully EV ready basis. The topic of accessible and inaccessible metering requires identifying the location of the service panel relative to the location of the electric meters in a building, the distance being a key factor in determining which electric vehicle energy management system (EVEMS) or solution is the best fit. The approach for an EV charging project can be determined based on the frequency of requests coming in from unit owners, or whether a condo or strata board has determined that making their building EV ready is an upcoming priority.

To learn more about accessible and inaccessible meters, visit https://murbly.com/en/resources/electric-vehicle-installation-context/

To learn more about individual and global approaches, visit https://murbly.com/en/resources/approaches-to-electric-vehicle-charging-installations/

The templates that Murbly provides were created to help unit owners, managing boards or HOA’s, and property managers determine the interest in EV charging at a property, to present the subject at a general assembly, to loosely help organize and phrase a policy, and aid in other documentation that may come up throughout the stages of an EV charging project.

To view the collection of templates, visit https://murbly.com/en/resources/

Before viewing the case studies, it is recommended that the difference between an accessible and inaccessible metering context is understood and this can be learned through the videos provided above. After viewing Murbly’s video content, it will be much easier to use the tagging system in order to identify what type of building you live in and whether it is most similar to the completed projects listed.

To access the case studies, visit https://murbly.com/en/case-studies/

The EV Ready Plan for Multi Unit Residential Buildings document is adapted by province and aims to walk the reader through each step within the EV charging project process. The intention is that at the end of reading the document, the reader will be able to create an EV Ready Plan for their building using the printable version of the guide also included.

To receive a copy, visit https://murbly.com/en/guides-canada/