Bastien Theron has a passion for quad biking. He was barely 8 years old when he started riding this type of off-road vehicle. A graduate of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in mechanical engineering a few years ago, the young entrepreneur also has "a great passion for the environment".

Eighteen months after his studies, he set out to marry his two passions. "I didn't just want to create an electric vehicle," he says. Bastien Theron wanted to create an electric vehicle that would bring something extra to the table. So he invented the "modular light electric off-road vehicle".

"Yes, it's a quad, but it's also the mother of an ecosystem to which you can connect several accessories," he explains. In short, it's an electric quad to furnish.

His company, Theron, is already taking orders for its prototype, the Reever, with a range of up to 180 km. The two-seater can be fully recharged in three hours. It can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. It has a towing capacity of 500 kilos and a load capacity of 181.4 kg.

The City of Shawinigan has acquired two of these quads, and La Mauricie National Park is also testing them, enabling the designer to deal with any problems that may arise in real-life situations.

"I wanted them to be off-road electric vehicles because there was absolutely nothing in this kind of vehicle to compete with a conventional gasoline vehicle," he explains.

‍

‍

The young entrepreneur has not plunged headlong into this adventure, which will enable him to occupy an almost limitless share of the market in the near future.

Trained as an engineer at UQTR, Bastien Theron turned to his university's electrical and computer engineering department. Professors Alben Cardenas, Sousso Kelouwani, Mamadou Doumbia Lamine and Loïc Boulon drew on their experience, along with doctoral and post-doctoral trainees, to solve the technological challenges associated with the creation of such a vehicle, which contains numerous functionalities, such as a geolocation system, a personalized driving mode, an intelligent safety device and even parental control. The trainees, especially those specializing in mechatronics, have been able to contribute new ideas, he says, and have even become employees over the months. The company now has nine employees.

Theron's electric quad not only allows you to go off-road, but also to add optional tools such as a snowblower, lawnmower or trailer.

The young entrepreneur has not plunged headlong into this adventure, which will enable him to occupy an almost limitless share of the market in the near future.