As gas prices keep hitting record highs, a new report that says owning an electric vehicle in B.C. isn’t as expensive as you might think.
A survey conducted on behalf of BC Hydro found that a third of respondents think their next vehicle purchase will be electric, but more than half think electric vehicles are too expensive.
The report notes that “B.C. is one of only three Canadian provinces to offer rebates for the purchase of an electric vehicle.”
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“Depending on the factors included in calculations, some electric vehicles are already as affordable as, and in some cases less
expensive than, similar-sized gas-powered vehicles in overall cost of ownership in B.C.,” the report said.
Other concerns raised by respondents include a lack of charging stations and the belief that electric cars do not have enough of a battery charge for long trips.
Alex Tsang of BC Hydro said newer cars like the Chevy Volt have a range of 385 kilometres.
“That’s kind of the turning point this year,” he said. “It’s one of the first vehicles with long range, but accessible to the general public,” he said.
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Peter Miller of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association said he doesn’t even know where charging stations are located since he so rarely needs to charge his vehicle while on the road.
“I don’t know where they are and I don’t care. I get home in the evening, I’m still half full. I plug in, I wake up in the morning, it’s full again and I’m off for the day.”
— With files from Ted Chernecki