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Driving electric: converted or undecided

Driving electric: converted or undecided

Driving electric: converted or undecided

Although the electric car is gaining in popularity, it seems that old habits die hard. As a result, most people are still on the fence when it comes to taking the plunge and buying electric.

Of course, the choice makes perfect sense ecologically. However, many still hesitate before switching from gasoline to electricity. Why?

Perhaps it is, quite simply, because we are not informed enough…

Here are a few statements that may help you to see more clearly:

  • On the purchase or lease of a new electric vehicle, the Government of Quebec offers a rebate of up to $8,000 and the Government of Canada, up to $5,000. Partner car dealers can offer their customers financial assistance immediately at the time of the transaction, deducting the rebate from the cost of the vehicle.
  • You can get a rebate of up to $600 for the purchase and installation of a 240-volt home charging station.
  • When the time comes to refuel, an electric vehicle can cost at least up to five times less than a gasoline model. If you drive an average of 20,000 kilometres a year, that’s approximately $400 in electricity—compared to $1,500 to $2,000 in gas.
  • The gas station is located directly in your yard. Otherwise, the Electric Circuit – which is Canada’s largest network – has over 3,000 stations on its own, but there are other networks (Chargepoint, Electrify Canada, Pétro Canada , EVDuty and a few others) which, by themselves, add nearly 3,000 additional stations. In addition, there are EV owners who share their stations on Plugshare and other sharing sites, often for free.
  • No more oil or spark plug changes. You can also say goodbye to transmission and exhaust pipe problems.
  • No odor and no noise pollution.
  • Preheating of the vehicle in winter without any pollution.
  • Better handling and more power to accelerate than gasoline models.
  • Most insurers offer a discount on your auto insurance premium.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING WINTER WITH AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

As the electric car cannot use the heat given off by the combustion engine to heat the vehicle, it’s the vehicle’s battery power that is drained.  The cold also hampers the battery’s performance.   If we compare the best range obtained in summer with the worst cold of winter, an electric vehicle can lose up to 50% of range. This means that a car like the Chevrolet Bolt EV which in summer can do up to 500 km under the best conditions could only do 250 km at -30. A gasoline car can typically see its gas mileage drop 20% in winter.  An electric car’s operating range will drop around 30% to 40% when conditions dip below zero.


In closing, if you calculate all the sources of savings that you can benefit from by switching to electricity, you can easily say that it costs 6 to 8 times less than having a gasoline vehicle.

You can visit the Quebec Electric Vehicle Association‘s Website, which counts several hundred volunteers who have been involved in the adoption of electric vehicles in Quebec since 2014.


Jackie Beaudoin, Leclerc Insurance and Financial Services
Sources :  Hydro-Québec, Gouvernement du Québec, Gouvernement du Canada. AVEQ