The transition to electric cars: are we here already?

Driven by love for his planet and anxious about his wallet, George Giannelis switched to an all-electric vehicle last summer.

"Best car I've ever had," he says with fervor the newly converted. "For someone who has just been driving a regular car, it's a whole new driving experience, because you do not have the vibrations, you only have wheels that roll on the sidewalk. So, if you close your windows, you do not hear anything.It's just quiet. "

Not having to fill up at gas stations is also soothing. It costs him about $ 1 a day to reload his Nissan Leaf. CBC television cameraman, who has long been concerned about environmental issues, Giannelis would prefer not to have a car. But the need to move quickly badociated with the shortcomings of the public transit system meant that he had to find the best green alternative.

The most sold all-electric car in Quebec is the Nissan Leaf which costs about $ 36,000 plus tax (less a $ 8,000 government rebate). As it exceeded his budget, Giannelis found a 2015 Opportunity Sheet that was selling for $ 15,000 with 30,000 kilometers.

Because his car can travel only 150 kilometers fully loaded (and closer to 100 kilometers in winter), suffered some initial "fear of the range" – the concern that it would run out of power and get stuck. The concern faded when he realized that his typical return trip to town was less than 50 kilometers. For a weekend getaway in Boston, he rented a conventional car, dividing the $ 300 tab with his co-pbadengers.

Giannelis says that he will have saved enough gasoline, oil and maintenance in four years to cover the excess costs of power purchase. After that, he will earn money. More importantly, it invests in something less polluting.

"I feel I'm doing my part," he said

Giannelis is the spokesperson for the transformation of electric vehicles. shows. The province has set an ambitious goal: to deliver 100,000 electric vehicles (electric or plug-in hybrids) on its roads by 2020. It would like electric vehicles to account for one-third of all sales. new vehicles in 2030, a figure already reached in Norway the world leader in sales of electric cars

There are signs of hope, as the dealer of Rawdon, 80 kilometers north of Montreal, where electric vehicles represent 50% of sales, the best seller in Canada. Until recently, Quebeckers were the largest purchasers of electric vehicles in Canada. They have been marginalized by Ontario in 2017. Gas prices that run around $ 1.50 a liter are an additional incentive.

And yet, the revolution of electric vehicles idles rather than accelerates, both in Quebec and in North America

Two years after the self-imposed 100,000 copies in Quebec, only 24,000 electric vehicles (EVs) circulate on its roads. These vehicles account for only 2% of total motor vehicle sales in the province.

Despite the fact that Quebec has the cheapest electricity rates in North America thanks to its own hydroelectric power. Quebec has adopted aggressive policies that include significant discounts on vehicle purchases ($ 8,000 for an all-electric car, $ 4,000 for an electricity-to-gas hybrid) and a single law among Canadian provinces requiring 3.5 % of all 2018 vehicles sold are zero emission cars. And there is a growing number of apostles like Giannelis happy to preach the benefits.

So, why does not the movement take off? And is it the right time to buy an electric car? The expert opinion is divided.

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Price is the main obstacle that slows the shift to mbad consumption. The billions spent on research and development badociated with expensive batteries mean that the initial cost of EVs is relatively high.

The Chevrolet the best-selling electric-gas hybrid in Quebec, costing $ 41,000, plus taxes, fully electric 2018 Nissan Leaf costs $ 36,000. A Honda Civic of the same type can be bought for $ 23,000

Limited purchases at dealerships can result in a wait of several months for the purchase of an electric car and a difficulty to get a test drive. . Commission dealers are more likely to direct customers to cheaper conventional cars that sell quickly and require more maintenance than electric vehicles, guaranteeing future revenues for repairs.

Martin Archambault, spokesperson for the Quebec Association of Electric Vehicles (AVEQ) .

"It's a shifting of costs," he said. "We pay more when we buy, but we spend a lot less over time."

The badociation calculates the difference in cost between the Leaf and the standard Civic over a four-year period, based on 20,000 kilometers per year The cost of electricity and the installation of a $ 2,000 home charger for the Leaf (offset by government subsidies) are included in the equation . Plus the $ 8,000 rebate from Quebec. The savings are less drastic for people who put less mileage on their cars, however.

After eight years of owning a Leaf, the badociation estimates that the typical buyer would be $ 8348 in advance

"And that's with gas at $ 1.20 a liter, Archambault noted. "At $ 1.40 or $ 1.50, as now, the savings are even faster."

The Hydro-Quebec Online Calculator estimates the cost of driving from one country to another. a clbadic compact car at 100 kilometers at $ 10.65. For an electric car, the cost is $ 2.10

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The fear of distance is the second biggest enemy of the EV. Even with the most powerful batteries of today, cars like the 2018 Leaf have a range of just 240 kilometers, giving a break to those who sometimes travel to Toronto or their cottages on weekends. end.

"Most people are not ready restrictions on long-distance travel," said George Iny, president of the Motorist Protection Association. "Most of us buy a car depending on our needs for two weeks a year ", whether it's the summer trip to Virginia Beach, or the time spent by car to visit local attractions. Motorists are reluctant to line up on charging stations en route

Yet the average Canadian travels only 41 kilometers a day, far from the autonomy of an electric car.Electric vehicle manufacturers claim that their cars meet 95% the needs of most drivers, pushing two-car families to think about buying an electric vehicle as a secondary vehicle and using the main vehicle for longer journeys.

"Our research They've shown that it's quickly becoming the first car, "said François Lefèvre, Nissan Canada's Chief Vehicle Marketing Manager for Electric Vehicles. "People think that their driving experience will be compromised when they become electric, whereas in fact it's improved."

A test from Motor Trend Magazine found the Tesla S clocked 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.28 seconds, faster than Ferrari and Porsche, or any other standard vehicle on the market.

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Car manufacturers are not in favor of the forced sale of electric cars mandated by Quebec.

The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association is strongly opposed to this idea, accusing the government of trying to create a demand where it does not exist. Sales of small sport utility vehicles (SUVs), vans and light trucks were up in Canada, accounting for 69% of the overall market share while sales of compact cars were down. But there are very few SUVs or electric trucks on the market, because the cost of setting up large batteries to propel heavy vehicles is prohibitive.

When we compare sales from one year to the next on fire, "said Lefèvre of Nissan Leaf, up 44% in Quebec in 2017 compared with the previous year. ;last year. In Ontario, which started offering a grant of $ 14,000 last year, sales jumped 120%

Overall, however, sales are anemic compared to conventional cars . Last year, 18,564 electric cars were sold in Canada, up 68% from 2016 Canadian Press published .

In 2017, Canadians bought just over 2 million cars. last year. Electric cars accounted for 1.4% of these purchases. Quebec had the highest percentage of EVs in all provinces at 2.2%.

Groups like Quebec environmental observer Équiterre blame automakers for whispering on EVs because profit margins are higher on large gas cars. Advertising for vans and SUVs is ubiquitous, they note, while for EVs, it's virtually non-existent.

Canada has also been accused of not doing enough because transportation accounts for 24% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Studies commissioned by Équiterre conclude that the government subsidy plan and the installation of several charging stations will not be enough to promote the EV property beyond 6 to 15% of the market. 39, here 2030. They advocate that zero-emission vehicles represent at least 20 percent The federal government has pledged to develop a national strategy to increase the number of zero – emission vehicles on the road by 2018. [20] 19659002] Much of the blame also falls on consumers, according to APA notes. While compact cars have increased their fuel consumption by 30% since 2008, Canadians are moving towards larger vehicles. Quebecers bought more SUVs and light trucks than cars last year, which puts convenience and status ahead of the ecology because gas prices have remained fairly stable

. environmental concerns do not affect our vehicle purchases. overall auto sales are up in Canada. "There is a difference between what we think and what we do – it's crazy what we do – you might think that Elon Musk (developer of the Tesla) dominates what we buy. is only what we think, that's not what we buy. "

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Despite current trends, hopes for a revolution in electric vehicles remain. Internationally, all significant leaps towards the acceptance of electric vehicles are mainly due to government policy, notes Iny.

Nearly one in three cars sold in Norway are now plug-in models thanks to the country's inexpensive hydroelectricity and significant tax incentives.

Quebec's zero-emission mandates represent a push in this direction, as are the benefits granted to VE owners, such as free tolls and ferry crossings, and permission to drive in faster reserved lanes. .

By installing 200 charging stations on its territory each year, Montréal is on track to make the most of any North American municipality by the end of 2018. It plans to have 1,000 charging stations recharge by 2020. Montreal bought 100 Nissan Leafs in April for its municipal fleet. And Laval recently became the first city in Canada to offer a $ 2,000 grant to residents who buy a fully electric car.

The speed of EV adoption is usually slow, said Quebec Premier Philippe Gazette. To get there, Quebec must see cars a little cheaper, maintain incentives and government mandates, and add charging stations, he said.

"I tell people that they can afford it, with the support of the government, just to think about the alternative," he said. "When you fill up gas, where do you send the money? When you charge it, the money stays here in Quebec."

Battery prices ($ 5,500 for a Nissan Leaf, by example) have dropped 50% since 2011, Bank of America badysts Merrill Lynch reported.They now predict that electric vehicles will be cheaper than conventional cars by 2024. [19659002] AVEQ's Archambault predicts that battery autonomy will increase dramatically in the next five to ten years.This, along with incentives and government mandates, will boost sales, he said. he advises potential consumers to make the calculations first

"The needs of each buyer are different," he said. "With some, who do not drive as much, I say wait a few years, or you could be disappointed. "

At the protectio agency n of the automobile, the advice is also to wait a little, or weigh the alternatives. 19659002] "If it will be your main car, then no," said Iny. "Most people are not ready to deal with the limitations of long-distance travel, but we love plug-in hybrids (like the Chevy Volt, which has a range of over 500 kilometers) if you have a place. where to plug in at night so you can run the electricity in town and switch to gas when you need it. "

The new Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid is also recommended by the APA, as are non-rechargeable hybrids such as the Prius, Hyundai Ioniq and Kia Niro

"These vehicles will cover their excess costs at six or seven years. But in Rawdon, Canada's electric car capital, it took the Bourgeois Chevrolet dealership five years to get to the point where electric cars make up 50% of its budget. Sales. The dealer sold 525 last year, averaging one or two per day. The Chevy Volt is the biggest seller. The second-hand Chevrolet Sparks, imported from the United States and sold for about $ 15,000 with the $ 4,000 government rebate, are also popular.

The most important sales factors were the well-trained personnel in electric vehicle science. offer customers test periods of a few days to see if cars meet their needs (and seduce them), and customers who have neighbors or colleagues with electric cars that promote them.

Studies have shown that over 70% of consumers do not know how electric vehicles work. In Rawdon, it changes.

"Our first customers were people very familiar with the technology of the electric car," said co-owner Hugo Jeanson. "Today, it is Mr. and Mrs. Everyone who comes to buy."

Yet, Jeanson said that it will take a little more time before the movement picks up speed. "19659002" It's 100 or 125 years since the car exists. It has been developed over generations. We are seeing a new enthusiasm for electric cars. But you can not change the world in five years. "

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FAQ: What You Need to Know About Electric Vehicles

What's an Electric Vehicle?

There are three main types of electric vehicles:

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV): Operates entirely on battery and on an electric drive train, without internal combustion engine. Can be plugged in at home and charged during the night, or at charging stations. The range for most models ranges from 150 to 250 kilometers.

Rechargeable Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV): Operates primarily on a recharged battery by plugging into the power grid. It also has a gas-fired internal combustion engine that can recharge the battery or replace the electric transmission when the battery power is low. The range of the electric charge is only 35 to 85 kilometers, but sufficient to cover most of the daily commutes in Canada. The extended power offered by the gasoline engine gives cars a range of over 500 kilometers.

Hybrid Vehicle (HEV): Hybrids are equipped with a gasoline engine and an electric motor. power the powertrain, reducing gas consumption. Hybrid cars can not be plugged in and recharged from the grid – their energy comes from the power of gasoline and regenerative braking, where the electric motor helps to slow down the vehicle and produce more power. ;electricity. Hybrid electric vehicles have the range of a conventional car

How to charge an electric vehicle?

Most cars can be recharged at home from a standard 120-volt outlet. 12 to 16 hours. A 240 volt outlet, typical of the dryer, can do the business in three hours for a plug-in hybrid and six for an all-electric vehicle. The installation of a 240-volt charging station for a rechargeable electric vehicle costs an average of $ 1,500. Quebec offers up to $ 600 in grants to offset the expense.

A 400-volt DC fast charger can charge a battery at 80% capacity in 30 minutes.

There are about 1,500 public charging stations in Quebec, 110 of them fast chargers. A 240 volt station costs $ 2.50 per charge, or $ 1 hour, billed per minute. Fast charging stations cost $ 10 per hour, charged per minute

How much does it cost to buy and drive an EV?

It costs about $ 1 to fully charge a vehicle at home. The annual costs of a car that is billed each night and that costs about 20,000 km a year rise to $ 300, an eighth of the cost of a conventional car when the price of gas is $ 1.35 per liter.

Quebec up to $ 8,000 for an all-electric vehicle, $ 4,000 for a plug-in hybrid, and none for a hybrid vehicle starting in the 2018 model year. A pilot project launched in April 2017, Quebec is offering $ 4,000 rebates for used electric vehicles, for a total of 1,000 vehicles in total. Better to hurry. As of May 31, only 266 discounts were still available

What about batteries?

The dead batteries that cost thousands to replace were once the scourge of electric cars, but now the batteries of electric vehicles are covered by eight-year manufacturing warranties, and batteries can last much longer. They are still expensive to replace ($ 5,500 for a Nissan Leaf, for example), but prices are expected to drop significantly by 2020.

Sources: Candian Automobile Association ; Association of Electric Vehicles of Quebec Government of Quebec

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