Relion and Malco launch Quebec EV charging operations project

Relion and Malco are launching a collaborative innovation project in Quebec to improve the reliability and day-to-day operations of electric vehicle charging networks. The initiative is backed by $450,000 from the Quebec government and is aimed at fleets, municipalities and charging operators managing multi-vendor sites.

Why it matters: - Quebec is backing a new effort to make EV charging infrastructure more reliable for fleets and other operators. - The project targets a common pain point: managing charging networks built on multiple manufacturers, disconnected maintenance processes and fragmented diagnostics. - Better operations could reduce downtime, speed up repairs and improve vehicle availability for fleet users.

What happened: - Relion and Malco – Solutions de Recharge announced a collaborative innovation project in Montreal, Quebec. - The project combines Relion’s operations and maintenance software platform with Malco’s engineering and field services. - The initiative is supported by the Quebec government.

The details: - The project is designed to centralize charger monitoring, diagnostics, incident management, maintenance and field interventions in one operating environment. - Relion provides software to monitor charger performance, automate recovery workflows, manage diagnostics and coordinate operations. - Malco brings engineering, commissioning, maintenance and field execution expertise. - The companies say the model is aimed at fleets, municipalities, charging operators and infrastructure owners. - The platform is intended for multi-site and multi-vendor environments where uptime is critical. - The project received $450,000 in funding from the Quebec government. - The funding comes through the INNOV-R PME initiative under the Plan pour une économie verte 2030. - The Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy administers the program with InnovÉÉ. - Relion is a Canadian technology company focused on software for EV charging operations and maintenance. - Malco is a Quebec-based company specializing in engineering, deployment, commissioning and maintenance of EV charging infrastructure. - Relion’s website is relioncharging.com. - Malco’s website is malcoelectrique.com. - Relion also shared a social media page at the company’s LinkedIn page.

Between the lines: - The project reflects a shift from simply installing chargers to managing them as operational assets that need active support. - Multi-vendor charging networks can create complexity for maintenance teams, so a unified workflow could simplify day-to-day operations. - The focus on field execution suggests the project is meant to bridge software monitoring with real-world service response.

What's next: - Relion and Malco expect the collaboration to improve long-term operational performance as charging networks expand. - The companies are positioning the project around more predictable charging for fleets and faster diagnostics for operations teams. - The next test will be whether the combined model can improve reliability across complex, multi-site networks.

The bottom line: - Quebec is funding a practical attempt to make EV charging less fragmented and more dependable for operators that cannot afford downtime.