The network will comprise 2,000 sites offering charges of between 7kW and 50kW, each serving up to four cars at the same time. These will be installed for free on private properties across Canada, through partnerships with owners.

“At AZRA, we are change agents on a mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jean-François Carrière, president and chief executive officer of AZRA. “We are proud to be investing in transport electrification because it is the way of the future to reduce our environmental footprint.”

Imported by AZRA, the Twizy is the first Renault to be sold in North America since the late 1980s, and will be available to lease at $99 (CAD, £54) per month, including registration and insurance costs. The total value of the import project is $40m (CAD, £22m)

Canadian-market versions feature side reflectors, a built-in socket for Type 1 cables instead of  the tethered cable on European models, and are capped at 40km/h (24mph) to come under Transport Canada’s low-speed vehicles category. Management and maintenance of the vehicles will be undertaken by aftermarket supplier Uni-Select.