Savings from switching to an electric car at an ‘all-time high’: BC Hydro
Posted May 17, 2019 6:03 am.
Last Updated May 17, 2019 6:57 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As gas prices continue to rise across the province, BC Hydro says savings from switching to an electric car are at an “all-time high.”
Tanya Fish with the utility says the average person could save up to nearly $2,000 a year.
“The electricity cost to fuel an EV (electric vehicle) is around 25 cents a litre or about 80 per cent less than gas prices right now,” she adds, noting people with trucks or SUVs can save up to to $4,000 a year.
She says the average commuter in B.C. drives about 20 kilometres every day, “So doing this in a Honda Civic, which is a top-selling sedan, costs about six times more in fuel costs than it would in Nissan Leaf, which is a top-selling electric vehicle right now.”
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As a bonus, Fish says those making the switch would also be helping the environment by reducing fuel emissions.
She adds that most charge their electric cars at home – but many don’t realize they can be plugged into a standard 120-volt outlet.
According to BC Hydro there are currently more than 18,000 electric cars in B.C., but that number is expected to rise to 350,000 by 2030.
-With files from Hana Mae Nassar
