Electric Vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular in 2019.

Take it from me, as someone who has owned 2 different electric vehicles (EVs) in the past year (I owned a Hyundai Ioniq Electric before that became my company’s vehicle and I now own a Hyundai Kona Electric).

Why are EVs becoming so popular, and why did I choose to make the switch from a gasoline powered vehicle to an electric vehicle? Let’s look at a few key points to discuss: carbon (or carbon equivalent emissions), cost and the comfort and convenience factor.

CARBON

The number one reason why I personally chose to drive electric was to reduce my emissions.

I should mention that living in British Columbia 98% of our province’s energy generation is clean energy.

That’s a huge benefit of living in BC. Really huge. To me, this is the most compelling reason why an electric vehicle can help reduce carbon emissions. As opposed to the various emissions and pollutants created from gasoline (extracting crude oil, refining the oil into gasoline, and then transporting and burning the gasoline to operate a regular combustion engine), the electric vehicle’s operating emissions are solely from the electricity generation.

In places like British Columbia where the electricity generation comes from clean energy sources, the emissions of driving an EV are nearly negligible. BC’s 2017 Provincial Inventory on emissions shows that approximately 27% of BC’s CO 2 e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions are from road transport. Driving an electric vehicle on green power effectively eliminates that transportation emission. It’s no wonder that BC is aiming to have 100% EV sales by 2040.

Elsewhere in the world, where the energy grid isn’t as green, the difference in emissions between driving an electric and gas are much less significant. However, electric vehicles charging on predominately coal power grids may still be less polluting than combustion vehicles.

Next, let’s consider the full life cycle emissions of an electric vehicle.

I have often heard the argument that the manufacturing process of EVs creates more emissions than the vehicle will ever offset. Research shows, however, that this not necessarily the case. The total life cycle emissions of an electric vehicle may be nearly half of the life cycle emissions of an equivalent gas vehicle.

The most detrimental segment of an EV’s life cycle is the raw material production (primarily for the lithium-ion batteries). This segment produces approximately 60% more emissions than the material production of a gas vehicle. Beyond that, the manufacturing and transportation processes of the electric vehicle are comparable to that of a gas vehicle. As previously discussed, an EV’s operating emissions can be almost negligible on a clean energy grid.

On top of all of that, end of life batteries from an electric vehicle can be recycled into new batteries or even reused for electricity storage.

COST

I want to preface this section by acknowledging that electric vehicles are definitely not within everyone’s budget. Buying a brand new vehicle is not going to save the planet. If you do happen to be in the market for a new car though, electric may not be as unobtainable as it seems at first glance.

There are two main points to consider when discussing the cost of an electric vehicle: operating cost and vehicle price.

The operating cost of an electric vehicle consists of charging costs and maintenance costs.

I don’t have much personal experience comparing maintenance costs. I have only driven electric for a year and a half. However, due to regenerative braking (less break-pad wear), fewer moving parts and no oil changes (to name a few key factors), an electric vehicle can have less than 25% of the maintenance cost of a comparable gasoline vehicle.

On the other hand, I can personally attest to the cost savings of charging an EV in comparison to refueling. Our electricity is fairly cheap in British Columbia, so the cost of charging an electric vehicle is substantially less than filling a gas tank. I do almost all of my charging at work, and thanks to workplace installation incentives, I get free access to the charger.

Many of the DC Fast Chargers (Level 3 chargers that are able to charge vehicles at 50kW) around British Columbia are also free to use, so road trips are great with an EV!

Let’s compare the operating costs of Hyundai Kona electric and gas models.

I drive the electric Kona, which has a 64kWh battery and approximately 500km range. The range on electric vehicles fluctuates with temperature, so in February my total range was closer to 480km. In August, my total range was around 530km. For my comparison, I will assume the electric range of the Kona to be 500km before needing to recharge. To charge the battery from 0-100% (64kWh) costs roughly $5.30 (BC Hydro’s residential rate starts at 8.29 cents per kWh).

The gas version of the Kona has a 50L tank with an estimated 8L/100km mileage, so a full tank would drive approximately 625km. For comparison I will assume the gas vehicle is driven 500km before refueling. This would be 80% the total range and therefore 80% of the tank’s capacity. At the time of writing, gas prices in Vancouver are $1.41/L and to fill 40L (80%) of the Kona’s tank would cost $56.40.

To compare the cost of two vehicles recharging and refueling for equivalent range, the electric version costs $5.30 and the gas version costs $56.40.

I drive approximately 12,000km/year or 1,000km/month, so I save $102.20 each month by driving an electric vehicle compared to a new gas vehicle.

As another point of comparison, I previously drove a BMW 1-series. The BMW had a 53L tank and combined mileage of 11.3L/100km and required premium gasoline ($1.59/L currently). The car would drive 470km range on a full tank. To compare, around 106% of the tank’s capacity would be needed to drive 500km (56L). At $1.59/L, the BMW would cost $89.04 to drive 500km. In a month, I am saving $167.48 in operating costs by driving electric compared to the BMW.

Sounds great, right? In terms of operating costs, the electric vehicle is the obvious winner.

However, the biggest barrier to electric vehicles is the vehicle price. The gas version of the Kona (Ultimate trim) has an estimated MSRP of $32,000, while the electric Kona (Ultimate trim) has an estimated $52,000 MSRP. That’s a $20,000 difference for the same vehicle trim.

In 2019, electric vehicles are still struggling to be an affordable solution. Incentives exist to help make the choice to go electric a bit easier, but the cars still aren’t cheap. Currently in BC, the government incentives for purchasing a Battery Electric Vehicle are $8,000. which brings the electric Kona down to $44,000 (before taxes + fees) and the difference to $12,000. Relatively speaking, this might not equate to a significant difference.

Other EVs are certainly more affordable, like the Hyundai Ioniq. With half the range though, the choice for me was clear.

The amount I drive leads to $102.20/month savings between the two Kona vehicles. At this rate, it would take me almost 10 years to recover the difference in savings. I financed my Kona, and a quick check of hyundaicanada.com shows that monthly financing rates between the two vehicles differ by roughly $225. From that perspective, the electric vehicle costs around $123/month more than the gas vehicle when considering fuel savings (and not to mention long-term maintenance savings).

In terms of operating costs, the electric vehicle is the obvious winner

Electric vehicles will come down in cost as battery technology advances. Eventually, government incentives won’t be necessary as EVs reach price parity with gas vehicles. With the amount I drive, the cost savings of the electric car will not be seen for nearly 10 years. For others who drive more or have longer commutes, the cost savings can certainly be seen much earlier.

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

I would not consider myself a car enthusiast and I definitely don’t need (or want) to drive the fastest car on the road. Coming from a BMW 1-series, I knew that the BMW was nice to drive, but I was surprised that I found the electric Hyundai was just as enjoyable.

Driving electric is different, but I got used to the differences quickly and found joy in driving.

Instant acceleration, no engine noise, comfortable driving; all features I was immediately aware of being different than a gas vehicle. These are also all features I love about driving electric. I believe these are all universally appreciated qualities, as many others can attest.

When I started driving electric, the biggest surprise feature for me was regenerative braking.

For the first few minutes, I was uncomfortable with how quickly the vehicle slowed when taking my foot off the accelerator. After those first few minutes though, I was hooked.

I find that regenerative braking makes driving much more comfortable once adjusted. The regenerative braking begins as soon as I take my foot off the accelerator and the vehicle starts to slow down at a comfortable rate. This helps especially in city driving and allows me to drive with one pedal most of the time (except for complete stops).

When considering the convenience of owning an electric vehicle, there is one major point that immediately comes to my mind.

It also always surprises people when I tell them. It is one of the most common complaints I hear from others about why they don’t want an electric vehicle. Well, what is it?

Charging.

Charging an electric vehicle is convenient! Yes, charging can be less convenient than refilling a car at the gas station if you’re on a long road trip. For me, any time that I need to recharge my EV at a DC Fast Charger is used as an opportunity to take a break, stretch my legs or get some lunch. With that said, the number of times I have personally needed to recharge my Kona on the road is 0. When I drove the Ioniq (220km range), I did use DC Faster Chargers on road trips a few times, but with 25 minutes to charge 80%, the downtime was minimal. However, the number one situation when charging is convenient is in everyday life.

I charge my car every Friday at work. I choose to charge my car on Fridays. When I get to work, I plug my car in and leave at the end of the day with a recharged battery. I never have to stop at the gas station anymore, or worry how much longer I can drive before my car just stops. For people who charge at home, charging is even more convenient. You can just plug your car in when you get home from work and in the morning the car is fully topped up.

CONCLUSION

If it’s not already apparent, I love driving electric.

I love when the news talks about record high gas prices and knowing that I won’t have to worry. I love that my car makes artificial noises when I drive slowly and people stare. I love when people on the street approach me with their questions and curiosity surrounding electric vehicles.

Most of all, I love knowing that by driving electric, I am making a measurable difference in reducing my emissions and helping a bit to reduce my impact on the environment.

Of course, an electric vehicle isn’t the one-stop solution to dealing with climate change and is not the most sustainable means of commuting. However, for those of us who rely on owning a vehicle, electric helps makes that choice a bit easier.

What are your thoughts on electric vehicles? If you own an EV, what is your favourite part about driving electric? If you don’t own an EV, why or why not would an EV be your choice for your next vehicle? Let me know in the comments!