In an effort to provide a real life example of the pros and cons of electric vehicles – specifically what it’s like to take one on an extended road trip – The Eagle asked reporter Howard May to write a first person account of his trip from Cochrane, Alberta to Winnipeg, Manitoba at the beginning of summer holidays. This is his account. Hopefully, it will provide some insight to those who may be at least considering purchasing an EV – on-the-ground data to add to what can be an intimidating body of research on the topic.
Full disclosure: I bought my Hyundai EV last year after a fair amount of research. How could Car and Driver’s EV Of The Year be anything but a wise purchase, after all?
In the interest of conciseness and information manageability, I’m going to focus on what seem to be the leading issues cited in recent surveys describing reluctance for first-time buyers.
Here’s what I found.
According to a recent survey commissioned by Electric Mobility Canada (EMC), only 13 per cent of Canadians describe themselves as being EV-savvy.
Barely nine per cent of survey respondents were aware that more than 40 EV models on the market right now have a lower Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price than the average new vehicle in Canada, which costs a bit more than $66,000.
Once these facts came to their knowledge, the proportion of non-owners who said they were likely to choose an EV or plug-in hybrid as their next vehicle increased from 43 percent at the start of the survey to 63 percent at the end.
According to EMC president and CEO Daniel Breton, it’s pretty clear that the more people know about EVs, the more likely they are to adopt one.
The three common fears cited by those resistant to considering an EV are: high purchase prices, range anxiety and the lack of charging infrastructure. Those are usually the top three roadblocks to mass EV adoption, according to the most recent survey by J.D. Power.
They polled nearly 3,000 new vehicle shoppers across the country in March and April. Only 11 per cent said they are “very likely” to consider an EV for their next purchase, down three percentage points from 2023 and, incredibly, less than half of the 24 per cent of U.S. shoppers.
Manufacturers have begun to address the purchase price issue, especially with announcements in the past year, as EVs’ list prices get closer to internal combustion (ICE) vehicles.
The total rebate available to new EV purchasers ranges from $9,000 (combined) in Manitoba to $5,000 (federal) in Alberta. Manitoba’s new NDP government introduced a $4,000 rebate July 1.
Justin Trudeau is offering a $5,000 rebate. No word from Danielle Smith on any plans to step up to the plate here – although the UCP stand on EVs may be gleaned by their introduction of a surcharge on registration fees for EV owners, ostensibly to help offset the increased wear and tear on highways (EVs weigh more). So don’t hold your breath.
So let’s concentrate on the non-political issues, specifically: range anxiety and the concern over lack of charging stations.
Full disclosure Number Two: much of this “debate” – and the conclusions drawn, will, of necessity, be couched in terms of personal preferences/outlook.
Range anxiety
Leaving Cochrane with a reading on the onboard computer of 100 per cent charged and a range estimate of 630 km, the first reaction is, this is going to be a breeze. In fact, I’ll have to stop less often than if I was driving one of the five F150 pickups I’d previously owned.
Wrong.
One of the first lessons is the range estimates on the vehicle’s onboard display are just that – estimates.
A strong headwind (that blew all the way through Saskatchewan the next day) rendered that mileage estimate as fantasy.
So if you rely too heavily on that target number, you’re just creating anxiety. Best to err on the conservative side and stop well before approaching the distance.
A quick charge in Swift Current
(I didn’t really need one, but stopped there because I wanted to include that clever phrase).
So I stopped in Swift Current and again in Regina. As one fellow EV owner put it at a charging station in Regina, a number of variables go into figuring out where your next stop will be.
“It’s like sailing – you have to know which direction the wind’s coming from and how strong it is,” said Calgarian Tom Albrecht with a smile.
Time is money to Albrecht, a real estate agent at the A Team at Remax First, but he didn’t find that driving the prairies and stopping more often was a drain on his.
“I think if you’re in a crazy rush it’s going to be a bit tricky. But for someone with kids there’s a more natural flow – kids want to stop for a half hour every couple of hours anyway so . . .”
He calculated how much he was slowed down the day before and came up with 15 minutes, Calgary to Regina.
The former sailor said he actually liked feeling closer to the elements (like he used to when sailing).
“It’s definitely more peaceful.”
He said he loves his full size KIA EV9 SUV – so far.
“We’ll see when it’s 30 below and after six or seven years how the battery’s doing,” he said.
His Kia has a seven-year, 100,000 km (whichever comes first) warranty on the battery.
Lack of charging infrastructure and range anxiety were also not serious issues for Albrecht. Having a computer calculate how far you can go (how speed affects that number) is a feature Albrecht relies on. It contributes to less range anxiety than a gas-powered vehicle would have, in his view.
As another fellow charger at that pit stop put it, one of the first things you learn is that stopping a little more often on long trips is not a big deal.
It became a recurring theme, and maybe my most important learning.
Really – on a 1,400 km journey, if you have to stop a couple more times for 30 to 40 minutes, go for a walk, have some chili fries or walk the dog, is that a real serious inconvenience?
For some, it is. It depends on your outlook.
We’re only human – confirmation bias
This is as good a time as any to mention something I couldn’t help but notice, both in researching and in real life conversations with motorists – both pro EV and con.
It’s something psychologists have dubbed confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias is a cognitive error that people can make when they are only willing to accept new information when it confirms what they already believe. It is usually considered unintentional.
In some Western countries, it is easy to see a clear and strong political bias in various news agencies. In some cases, nearly every news story will have a political tilt, evident in selection of stories covered, angle presented, facts cited, and even types of guests interviewed.
Scientists strive to be neutral and objective – the glass is neither half full nor half empty: it’s at 50 per cent capacity.
In my small sample size, I found both sides in the debate to be somewhat susceptible to this approach. It’s a very common human bias.
An example: The average range of EVs has improved significantly year to year in the last few years, yet survey respondents still point to it as a major concern. Respondents in one recent survey said they wouldn’t consider a vehicle that didn’t have a minimum range of 400 km. Many models already exceed that.
Lack of available charging stations (and possibility of lineups)
If downloading an app to your phone is a major inconvenience to you, then this might seem to be a major drawback. (Hello, confirmation bias).
I have four or five apps that allowed me to easily locate chargers on my trip, in addition to my onboard computer. I ended up stopping five times (more than I had to), was the only one at the station on four of those stops and did not consider it a major inconvenience.
I stopped for 15 to 40 minutes on average (you don’t need to charge to 100 per cent, especially if you’re planning to stop again before too long for root beer and onion rings).
Depending on how much you want to delve into the apps, they (or your onboard computer) will also tell you how far to the nearest station, if there’s anyone else currently using the charger, and then navigation function will guide you there.
If there are kids in the car, assigning the computer projections to them would be a good and useful alternative to the license plate game.
In one 2022 study 90 per cent of participants said they needed to do "a lot more research" to find the EV that's right for them.
"We found that Canadians are ready to make the switch to electric, emission-free vehicles but they want to see improvements in infrastructure and trust battery technology in our climate before they fully commit," said Peter Hatges of KPMG Canada.
"The mustang has left the barn. There is no turning back from the electrification of the automobile industry. As EV production revs up, the established automakers will need to pay close attention to consumer wants and needs," he said.
Postscript
There’s still a lot of public education to be done before 2035, when all new car sales in Canada will have to be EVs. Time will tell if that ambitious target is hit.
What seems clear is while consumers haven’t bought in yet, manufacturers have.
Hyundai revealed plans in March to invest more than $50 billion USD in South Korea by 2026, with a huge chunk dedicated to boosting the development and production of EVs. That’s billion with a “B.”
For the record, the 1,400 km trip cost me $109.50 in charging fees. One of my old F150s would have sucked up about $250 in gas.
My oldest friend in Winnipeg took a Ford F150 Lightning for a few days test drive recently. Although he’s not sold on the idea, the former snowmobile racer and speed fan admitted to being impressed.
“It goes like hell,” he said with a smile.
But he won’t be buying one anytime soon. The charging inconvenience was too much for him.
When you grow up worshipping at the altar of Henry Ford and run a fleet of F150s on your farm and construction company there’s just too much stigma attached to EVs for him, and it’s not just dollars and sense.
He’s afraid he might see somebody he knows.
“You’ve lost your manhood,” he said.
