Collaborating for a Greener Future: Insights from the Montréal Workshop on Transport Electrification

The workshop held on October 23, 2025, at McGill University’s McDonald Engineering Building, brought together researchers from Montréal’s leading universities to exchange ideas on the electrification of transport systems.

Throughout the morning, attendees enjoyed a vibrant program of talks, discussions, and networking opportunities. The sessions covered a range of topics—from smart charging and agent-based modeling to charging infrastructure planning and accessibility analysis—illustrating how advanced decision-support tools can accelerate the shift toward cleaner, smarter mobility.

The event featured presentations from McGill University (IMaTS Lab), Polytechnique Montréal, and Concordia University, with speakers sharing insights on projects that link optimization, simulation, and real-world applications in Canada and abroad.

The workshop featured five research presentations showcasing diverse approaches to transport electrification. Jônatas Augusto Manzolli opened with a study on scenario-driven optimization for electric bus fleets in Quebec, linking climate impacts to smart charging strategies. Arsham Bakhtiari followed with an agent-based analysis of electric vehicle charging behavior under dynamic pricing, exploring temporal and spatial patterns. Ashraf Uz Zaman Patwary discussed a traffic- and activity-informed method for locating charging facilities. Kayhan Alamatsaz then presented optimization models for electric bus operation and charging station planning, emphasizing network efficiency. Finally, Ahad Farnood Ahmadi closed the session with a spatial accessibility study assessing walkable access to EV charging infrastructure for older adults in Montreal, highlighting equity considerations in urban electrification.

We were pleased to see strong engagement from participants across multiple disciplines and institutions, reflecting the growing momentum around transportation electrification research in Montréal.