The demand for solutions to reduce fossil energy consumption comes from all walks of life, including traditional sectors like snow removal which now have a proposition to consider: the first electric industrial snow blower.

It was at the suggestion of heavy equipment users that Michael Claes became interested in the possibilities of electrification. He, who was already working in manufacturing and who had ambition to spare, according to his wife and partner in Claes Équipement, got to work. “Her cup of tea is engineering,” says Viviane Chabot. The first 100% electric industrial blower was created as a result of its research and development efforts.

The product has a name: the Electric Dragon. It is a detachable snowblower that attaches to a traditional wheel loader, the type used in most municipalities. It crushes and blows snow using a battery designed and manufactured in Quebec which allows three to four hours of continuous use. It’s comparable to the duration of a tank of diesel, explains Viviane Chabot, who took advantage of the pandemic to reorient her career. She is now director, business development, of Claes Équipement.

In addition to having a competitive price, the machine designed by the small company located in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is covered by a battery exchange service which ensures that the equipment is always ready to operate.

“Batteries are a big part of the equation, but the equipment saves on maintenance costs compared to diesel,” says the entrepreneur. The Electric Dragon can both lower operating costs and help municipalities achieve their decarbonization goals.

In addition to the snowblower, the company converted two other pieces of equipment to electricity: a rotating broom and a towed broom for street maintenance. Claes Équipement works with partners and acts as an integrator of the components they provide.

The company was incorporated in 2018, but it was this year that the road ahead was cleared. The City of Alma has agreed to test the Dragon on its streets in the winter, which will allow its designers to refine their product.

Snow removal from airport runways and bike lanes is another avenue the company intends to explore. Other innovations are to come, promises the entrepreneur.

This first order from Alma allowed the company to obtain private financing to build its machines. Start-up support organizations like Propolys, Évol and Mobis had previously supported it. Claes Équipement currently works with partners and acts as an integrator of the components they provide.

Eventually, “we will have our own factory,” says Viviane Chabot, who refused the dream job she had coveted for 10 years to devote herself to Claes Equipment. “It has to work,” says the one who has total confidence in her partner’s talents. If there is a knot, he unties it; if there is a conflict, he resolves it. »