BC is leading the way in Canada regarding electric vehicle adoption; however, CAA has some concerning new findings regarding how happy BC residents are with the infrastructure for their electric vehicles.
Over 15,000 electric vehicle drivers, including over 5,000 BC residents, were surveyed across Canada and asked whether or not they were happy with the cost of charging and maintenance.
Folks were also asked about public charging and electric vehicle battery range, particularly in cold weather.
According to the survey commissioned by CAA in partnership with BCAA and in collaboration with PlugShare Research, while many are happy with the cost of charging and maintenance, “most are less than satisfied with EV battery range in cold weather and accessing public chargers.”
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Seventy per cent of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the number of public fast chargers available. Nearly 60% said they’d prefer to drive their gas-powered vehicles in extremely cold weather.
As mentioned, it wasn’t all bad news; some are happy with their electric vehicles for a couple of reasons. 97% said fuelling their electric vehicle is better, and 90% said maintenance costs are better than their previous gas-powered vehicles.
Shawn Pettipas, Director of Corporate Purpose and Mobility Marketing at BCAA, told Daily Hive that BC has the highest adoption rate of electric vehicles across Canada.
“In 2022, it was 18% of new vehicle purchases and in 2023, that shot up to 23%.”
While they don’t have the numbers for 2024 yet, Pettipas expects the number will be even higher.
“Our survey shows that people are happy with their EV because they are cheaper to operate and easier to maintain than their previous gas-powered vehicles,” added Pettipas.
We spoke to David Williston, founder of EVnSteven.app and someone well-versed in the world of electric vehicles in BC, about the survey. While drivers can use more charging stations in Metro Vancouver, it’s not as big of a problem in Victoria.
“There are only a handful of DC fast chargers, but when I do need to use them, they’re usually available.”
Relatively shorter commutes in Victoria help, but he says he could see this changing as more EVs are driven on the road.
“Apartments and condos will face challenges, including misinformation about EV charging tech and affordable infrastructure costs for large-scale installations. The return on investment for widespread Level 2 stations will be too long and, in many cases, unnecessary.”
We also asked him about the respondents who said they would prefer their gas vehicles in extreme cold.
“I drive a 2019 Kia Soul EV, which is nearly six years old now. Its range is about 200 km in the summer and 160 km in the winter. However, that’s based on West Coast winters, which are rarely below zero,” Williston said.
“For long trips, I’d say this vehicle isn’t ideal.”
He said that driving from Victoria to Tofino, which is around a five-hour trip, takes him over six hours because he needs to stop three times for 20 minutes each to charge.
“Personally, I don’t mind this–I enjoy the breaks and often use them as opportunities to chat with other EV drivers. The social aspect has been a fun and unexpected benefit.”
Williston also had some final thoughts about folks dealing with L1 and L2 chargers.
“A lot of people worry unnecessarily about needing L2 charging at home. I shared an L1 outlet with a Tesla for almost a year and supplemented it with public charging as needed.”
CAA’s survey also found that most BC residents charge at home, with 83% of respondents saying they have a fast charge at home.
If you drive an electric vehicle, do you find BC’s infrastructure lacking? Let us know in the comments.