SECHELT, British Columbia, Sept. 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2 Degrees Institute has published a report comparing the costs of fuel and maintenance of operating battery electric and gas-powered vehicles for each province in Canada. The findings reveal that not only are EVs cheaper to operate but that Canadian households can actually save a substantial 66-77% in operating costs by driving electric.



Electric cars are coming. They already represent 50% of new car sales in Norway, 10% in California and 5% in China. Canada is lagging behind, in part because electric cars are seen to be more expensive. What is often forgotten is that the operating costs are much less. Not only is electricity relatively inexpensive in Canada but, because electric vehicles have far fewer moving parts in the drive train and virtually no scheduled maintenance, the service costs are also much lower.

To make clear just how these factors play out in a Canadian context, the 2 Degrees Institute has just completed a study comparing the costs of owning and operating a battery electric vehicle in comparison with a gas powered version.

To reduce the many variables in any such comparison to a manageable level, the study was confined to two cars that are both popular and also available in both gas and electric versions: the Kia Soul and the Volkswagen Golf. Variables considered included the purchase price and the cost of service and fuel (or electricity) all tailored for each of the 10 Canadian provinces. The results show that going electric not only saves money, it also reduces air pollution and the carbon footprint of local transport. Over the life of the vehicle, the savings of going electric varied from about $28,000 to $36,000.

“We knew that EVs were less expensive to operate, but after running the numbers, we were completely surprised by how substantial the savings were,” Prof. James Pawley, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

From a climate change perspective, driving an electric vehicle that is powered by the abundance of clean energy found in Canada is a significant way to reduce one’s carbon footprint. The large savings that Canadians can enjoy make the switch to electric a no-brainer.

View report: http://www.2degreesinstitute.org/reports/comparing_fuel_and_maintenance_costs_of_electric_and_gas_powered_vehicles_in_canada.pdf

Contact:

Ryan Logtenberg, Director

C. 604.883.2227

r.l@2degreesinstitute.org

www.2DegreesInstitute.org