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Electric vehicles or EVs are a hot topic these days. With new technology, there are inevitably many questions and areas of confusion. This Climate Corner newsletter is here to help increase the understanding of EVs and their environmental benefits, and clear up some common misconceptions!
Myth #1: Electric vehicles cannot travel long distances.
Electric vehicle technology is advancing rapidly, with most fully electric models now having a range of 200-300kms, with some having ranges up to 450kms. The average Canadian drives less than 100kms a day, meaning that the daily driving could be fully supported by an electric vehicle. Most EV owners charge at night at home, or at a public charger while doing errands or working.
Myth #2: It takes hours to recharge an EV battery.
Using a “Level 3” charger, otherwise known as a “DC” or “Fast charger”, most vehicle batteries can re-charge up to 80% in 30 minutes. These are the types of chargers that are actively being installed throughout Ontario and Muskoka. When using a Level 1 or Level 2 charger, which are the slower chargers, it can take many hours to re-charge an EV, which works well to plug in overnight.
Myth #3: EVs aren’t any better for the environment that gas-powered cars.
While EVs have zero-tailpipe emissions, there are undoubtably emissions associated with the manufacturing of the vehicles as well as the recycling at the end of the life. Although, due to the significant tailpipe emissions associated with driving a gas-powered vehicle, it has been estimated that driving an electric vehicle for 27,000kms, or on average 1.5 years will offset the manufacturing emissions compared to a gas-powered car. After the 27,000 kms, the net impact on the environment is positive, with significantly reduced Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the day-to-day driving of an electric vehicle. In Ontario, our electricity grid is extremely green, meaning that there is a very low level of GHG emissions associated with the production of energy. This further benefits EVs, since the energy used to charge EVs is created in a “green” way.
As EVs become more commercialized, the manufacturing and end of life processes to produce electric vehicles will continue to become more efficient and therefore associated GHG emissions will decrease.
Question#1: What are the differences between fully electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric?
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are fully electric vehicles that run on (typically) lithium-ion batteries and have zero tailpipe emissions. There are also two types of hybrid models, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). These models are slightly different, but they both use a combination of battery electric energy as well as the combustion engine (gas-power). Hybrid electric vehicles use regenerative breaking to charge the battery while driving. Plug-in hybrid, as it implies, plugs in to an electricity supply to charge as well as using regenerative breaking. Some of these vehicles use battery-only energy below a certain speed, typically the vehicle will run on battery electricity except for when the battery is mostly depleted, during rapid acceleration, or when the heating or cooling are being used heavily, then they use the gas-energy. Hybrid options have a much longer range than their combustion engine alternatives and result in lower tailpipe emissions.
Question #2: Are electric vehicles more expensive to own?
Although the purchase cost of EVs is typically slightly higher than the equivalent gas-powered car, electric vehicles are cheaper in the long run. Thanks to savings from fuel and maintenance costs, EV owners typically save $1,500 - $2,000 per year! Electric motors are much simpler and more durable than gas engines and have fewer moving parts. EVs do not need oil changes, transmissions or exhaust systems.
Question #3: Will an electric vehicle work in the cold Muskoka winters?
Electric vehicles do have a reduced capacity in the cold weather. A study done in Norway found that on average, EVs have a reduced capacity of 18.5% of their driving range in cold conditions. Despite this, Norway, which often experiences temperatures as low as -20 and -30 in the winter, has one of the highest EV adoption rates in the world. Electric vehicles will still work on cold days, it is just that they will have a reduced driving range and may need to be charged more often. For example, with a full charge range of 200 kms (which is on the lower end of available models), even with a 18.5% reduction, the vehicle will still be able to drive 165kms on a charge, which on average is still more than enough for a daily commute.
Resources:
https://www.caa.ca/faqs/#electric-vehicles
https://www.myev.com/research/ev-101/10-common-electric-car-myths-busted
https://mccac.ca/2021/05/07/myth-busting-evs-in-alberta/
https://www.plugndrive.ca/electric-vehicle-faq/
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