Going the distance: British Columbians worry EVs won’t make the cut on road trips

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Many British Columbians don’t trust Electric Vehicles to go the distance on road trips, according to a new survey commissioned by BC Hydro.

Only 30 per cent of people surveyed said they would consider hitting the road for a weekend road trip in an EV.

Seventy per cent said that this concern is a key reason they are hesitant to purchase an EV.

Their main concerns were the distance the vehicles can travel, the availability of charging stations along their route and that stopping to charge up the car would cause a significant delay.

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The report says that these concerns are based on misconceptions.

It points out that the majority of the road trips British Columbians are taking are less than 300 kilometres, which the latest models of EV can travel on a single charge.

Fast chargers are available on many of the popular routes identified by the survey, including Vancouver to Kelowna and Victoria to Tofino.

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The report also says EV’s can charge in as little as 30 minutes and most charging stations are near places where people would normally stop for food or bathroom breaks.

It also said that a road trip of 340 kilometres in any of the most popular model of EV would save drivers as much as $40.

Read the full report here:

BC Hydro EV Road Trip Report_June 2019