DarkSirrush

BC actually has a tax exemption on used EV sales already, it hasn’t helped.

Honestly though, put in a passenger train through all the small towns that goes 100km/h (or more) that runs 3-4x a day and I would go back to only owning a bike I swear (though not really, winters up here suck).

Regardless, a solid, affordable train service would remove my need for a hybrid over a full EV completely.

I definitely agree that I am an outlier, but due to the size of Canada and how many remote towns there are (especially in western Canada, which Ontario and Quebec pretend don’t exist), there are an unfortunately high number of outliers.

Honestly, more than getting everyone on full electric cars that don’t have the range needed to compete convenience-wise, Canada needs to invest in better long distance transit options, be it better (preferably electrified) bus systems, or expanding on our train systems (and stop price gouging the very few passenger trains we have).

The most recent failed response to poorly trained drivers was tripling the tuition cost without offering any subsidies to help pay for it… And companies used it as an excuse to stop covering even the amount for training they used to.

I will admit, looking io charging times, half an hour isn’t so bad, now that BC hydro has put in/activated their level 3 charging stations.

When I purchased my current vehicle, there was not any non-tesla lvl 3 stations available, and even then there was only 1.

That being said, the available lvl 3 stations aren’t near an amenity I would normally stop at, and would add nearly an hour to my current 12 hour round trip.

And again, my biggest problem with full electric vehicles in my situation is the charge time and charger availability, if the chargers available weren’t for any reason, I would be SOL - and charger availability is a lot lower than gas stations even at the best of times

Gas engines needing to be plugged in or they don’t start isn’t relevant to why I can’t trust an EV in the winter, it’s the 25% loss of range at -8°C, and not wanting to get a hotel and stay somewhere overnight so that I may have the privilege of spending up to $0.41 per minute to charge my car overnight so that I can make it home in winter, vs my current hybrid, where it takes 5 minutes total to stop at a gas station to top up my fuel.

And actually, the Government of Canada states that most consumer heat pumps tend to need supplemental heat around -15°C to -25°C, with only the most expensive “cold weather” variants managing anything colder.

See screenshot as I can’t hyperlink to the exact line in question stating that.

…you are aware that battery efficiency drops drastically in cold weather right?

That doesn’t magically get fixed by preheating the car, the batteries are not well insulated enough to stay at optimal running temperature at -30°C while going 100km/h, even if they have a dedicated heat pump, as heat pumps also lose efficiency below -20°C or so.

I own my home and am as happy as I can be at my current job, why would I decide to move 350km away where I would have a rent/mortgage, need to find new work for my spouse and I, and live in a city that literally reeks of sewage constantly?

As for “planning better”, cold snaps can happen at any time from late October to early April around here, and if one happens when I plan to do some shopping for necessities where its 20%+ cheaper? Oh well, at least the roads will be more likely to be clear.

Honestly, I have a hybrid, and even a lvl 2 charger at home, but I could never consider going full EV where I live, as I need a vehicle that can travel 700km in a single charge at -30°C before they are viable.

Give me a small SUV that can do that, and keep my payments under $300 bi-weekly, and I would switch in a heartbeat.

On a side note - fuck BC Hydro’s exorbitant charging station rates, they are as bad as just using gas in my escape