One look at gas prices is all it takes to start strongly considering electric vehicles (EV). They've come a long way since the dawn of the modern-day electric car, and it’s becoming more and more common to spot them and their charging stations when out and about.
With growing popularity and federal incentives to sweeten the deal, you may be considering what electric might be like for you. The cities of Calgary and Edmonton are helping Albertans adopt EV’s with municipal strategies and accessible information. As an Albertan driver, or even perhaps a business owner, we’ll look at some of the benefits and things to consider when deciding if EV is right for you.
The art of multi-tasking
The average car owner loses about 16 hours of precious time while filling up their gas tanks
Every.
Five.
Years!
That’s potentially hundreds of hours over your lifetime. Gas vehicles require a lot of time single tasking, unless you count holding the gas nozzle while gawking at the pump as the numbers climb as a task...
When you charge your EV overnight, you’re freed from the pump so you can refuel other parts of your life. Last we checked, no one has ever woken up to find their traditional gas engine vehicle refueled and ready to go each morning. Based on average commute times here in Alberta, you could charge your vehicle in as little as two hours!
Stay warm with less
EVs are incredibly fast to warm up and you won’t be polluting and wasting gas in order to make your ride nice and toasty. Without oil to worry about, you also won’t have to stress about getting your ride started, regardless of how cold it gets outside!
On average, Internal Combustion Engine loses 60% of its fuel efficiency to heat and friction. That means it requires significantly more energy to travel the same distance as an EV. Alberta’s electric power is currently generated from a variety of sources. As renewable energy in electric generation increases, these source percentages will change.
Your dollars make sense
When we look specifically at the lot price of EV’s, it’s easy to make the assumption that these vehicles aren’t accessible to the average car owner. However, those prices don’t take into account the numerous rebates available.
Once the rebates are attributed to the purchase price, you are already in the black! From there, we add in the ongoing maintenance and energy savings, and it’s clear to see that an EV is not only the more ethical and efficient choice, but also the most cost effective!
Let’s compare the annual cost of charging a Tesla to the Honda Civic’s gas mileage. The average Tesla driver will spend $460/year on electricity, whereas the average Honda Civic driver will spend $1500/year on fuel. That’s more than 3 times the cost of our EV driver!
Road trip approved!
Companies like Peaks to Prairies are making it their mission to create an EV-friendly life for us. Currently installing charging stations across Southern Alberta, they contribute to a mass network of plug-in areas that can all be located at PlugShare.
Not only are EV charging stations popping up all over the province, BUT personal EV charging stations can ALSO be installed where you need it most — at home! Companies like Rümi will help you have a charging station installed at your house, so you can charge your EV overnight!
Attract your customers
As local business owners know, creating a welcoming, thoughtful, and efficient experience for customers is the key to success. As EV’s grow in popularity, more shops are adding EV charging stations for their customers to use while shopping.
Standing out in the cold filling your tank kind of stinks. And watching an EV driver plug in and head over to the local diner to catch up with friends while you watch the dollars rapidly scroll up, yet the litres display seems to hardly budge... Well, that certainly highlights another EV victory.
Connect with a friendly Rümineer to find out how you can have an EV charging station installed at your home, business, or managed properties!
Imagine never spending another minute at the pump, and instead recharging when you aren’t using your car. Whether it’s during work hours, while you’re sleeping, or out to brunch with friends, your EV can charge when it’s most convenient for you! So, even if you only sort of love the planet, EV’s offer a laundry list of reasons to make the switch.
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Originally posted in 2022