I’m told the art of designing a good poll is ensuring people see themselves in the range of answers.
Granted, I was not one of the 16,000 Canadians asked to fill out a survey regarding how I felt about my electric vehicle, but when the results were published last week, I had a remarkable sense of, “Yes, that’s me!”
According to the survey conducted by the Canadian Automobile Association in partnership with BCAA, “EV owners are overwhelmingly happy with their purchase, however, access to charging stations remains the primary concern.”
This, apparently, was the largest-ever survey of Canadian and British Columbian EV owners.
“The survey discovered points of concern in B.C. EV owners, including that almost half (48 per cent) worry about public charging stations, while one-third (36 per cent) don’t have the confidence to drive their EV on a long road trip,” reads the press release.
However, the survey also showed that:
• 96 per cent say they will purchase another EV when it comes time to replace their existing one.
• 96 per cent say their EV is more affordable.
• Fears about battery degradation fell 43 percentage points to 15 per cent after purchase.
I have to say ditto on all that. But about those charging stations....
When we bought our hybrid/EV we researched charging stations for the areas we would need one. We were thrilled to find so many close to where we live, shop and workout. We used a couple of them, and despite a few self-imposed glitches working the app, all was well.
The problem started when we ventured out of our happy little enclave of Steveston/West Richmond.
My partner works in Vancouver near 1st Ave and Commercial Drive. Again, we were pleased to find there were plenty of charging stations available in that area as well. But that’s when the goose chase began.
One of the stations near his office doesn’t cost, so there are cars there 24/7, the other was vandalized at least five months ago and has never been fixed. Two others are open and operating — if you happen to be shopping at that establishment.
We thought we may have better luck in my office area around Cambie Street and West 5th Avenue. Again, the map was crowded with EV charging stations, but again almost all were residents-only or customers-only.
Some parking lots have charging stations, but then you’re paying for parking as well as charging. That’s not the worst, given our savings on gas (we’ve filled up twice in four months), but even those were few and far between.
I asked at a nearby community centre if they had a charging station and was told they will have...in 2025.
Nothing like getting ahead of the curve.
In B.C., the number of registered EVs jumped 44 per cent in just one year, according to a recent provincial government report. This puts us ahead of all other Canadian provinces and all U.S. states — including California.
It would be a shame to see that enthusiasm stall because of a lack of infrastructure. I understand businesses want to reserve use of their chargers for their customers, which is why we won’t develop a comprehensive charging network if that’s our only option. We also need lots of public stations in strategic places.
EVs alone are not going to save the planet. They can help steer us in the right direction, but we’ll only make the distance if we’re assured there are charging stations to power us along the way.
