Quote:
Originally Posted by WarrenC12
IMO BC is a prime spot for EVs, since we have relatively cheap, clean electricity, and very expensive gas. The $5k rebate helps, I think this incentive for charging station is as important to promoting usage, some details here:
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There are some things working against EV ownership in BC though: Mountains and vast distances between communities.
I was looking at getting an EV, but the selection is too limited for my taste at the moment, and I would be far too worried about driving to the Okanagan or further in one at present. Even if I can make it between communities on the trip, I still feel like I would lose a lot of time by having to charge (at locations I might not necessarily want to stop at but would have to). Having to stop multiple times on my way out to Banff could make it more than a comfortable 1 day trip.
Having to stop for a 30 minute charge isn't bad if you like the place the charger is at. Like if there was one at interesting stops like D Dutchmen, I would be a happy camper. But typically they are at city halls or libraries (outside Vancouver), not exactly hot spots. And most are still J1772 plugs, so you will probably have to hang out a closed city hall for a few hours while you charge.
There is also the complication of getting a charging station in the parking garage of my strata. The cheapest rough estimate I could find would be at least $6000 which starts to make the EV completely uneconomical. For the same total cost of ownership (car+fuel), I could have a much more comfortable ride for those long trips.
I'm also worried about the limited infrastructure if it actually succeeds. Imagine showing up to a gas station, and all the pumps are full, but no one is around. All the people started fueling their cars and then went to work 8 hours in their office, or are having a lunch date or gone shopping. That's pretty much what's happening the the Tesla Superchargers in some places.
And superchargers are proprietary. Imagine not being able to hit the lone gas station in a town because your car can't take Esso gas.
If you need a car primarily for commuting, you can install a charger at home, and your family has a second vehicle for long distance trips, then yeah, an EV is a great buy at the moment. I look forward to the day I can get an EV, but if you want to live a life with only 1 car, and you leave the city, I don't think an EV fits right now.