Category: Electric Vehicle Benefits

Drivers are making the switch to electric vehicles for many reasons.

Save money on fuel and maintenance

An EV driver travelling 20,000 km per year, can save up to $2,000 per year on fuel alone, especially if you charging over-night or on weekends when the cost of electricity is normally lower.

EV drivers also save hundreds of dollars per year on maintenance because electric motors have only one moving part and do not require oil changes, coolant flushes, mufflers or exhaust systems.

Click here to learn more about the costs of electric vehicles.

Reduce emissions and other environmental benefits

EV drivers in Ontario reduce their contribution to climate change and air pollution by over 90% as they are not burning fossil fuels.

An electric vehicle’s only greenhouse gas emissions come from the generation of electricity. In Ontario that electricity is generated mostly from renewable sources, making Ontario one of the most environmentally friendly places in the world to own an EV.

Click here to read more about electric vehicles and the environment.

Performance, experience and convenience

Ask just about any EV driver and they’ll say they vastly prefer the experience of driving and owning an electric vehicle to a traditional gas-powered vehicle. The reasons why range from superior acceleration, to how quiet they are, to the fact that they never have to be taken to a gas station and can mostly be charged at home.

Click here to learn more about the experience of EV ownership.

Save on the purchase of an electric vehicle

The Canadian Federal Government currently offers incentives on electric vehicle purchases. To learn more about Canada’s electric vehicle incentives, visit Transport Canada’s ZEV incentive page.

Costs are one of the main considerations when making the decision to purchase a vehicle and some of the savings to be had by driving electric may surprise you.

Electric vehicles save fuel costs.

An EV driver travelling 20,000 km annually can save up to $2,000 per year on fuel alone, especially if you charge overnight or on weekends when the cost of electricity is normally lower.

Electric vehicles require very little maintenance.

EV drivers save hundreds of dollars per year on maintenance because electric motors have only one moving part and do not require oil changes, coolant flushes, mufflers or exhaust systems.

Most electric vehicles are slightly more expensive to purchase, but less expensive to own.

Electric vehicles are typically somewhat more expensive than equivalent gas vehicles, with most models in the range of $30,000 to $45,000.

However, EVs are less expensive to own. In addition, you can learn more about Canada’s electric vehicle incentives at Transport Canada’s ZEV incentive page.

Electric car batteries are designed to last.

An EV battery is typically under warranty by the auto manufacturer for eight years and designed to last as long as your car. Batteries do age over time however, which will slightly lower your total driving range. Learn more about the cost benefits of owning an electric vehicle at Plugndrive.ca.

Why are EVs the cars of the future? Well, because they’re great. But also because replacing our gas-guzzlers with EVs powered by low-carbon electricity is key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change.

Climate change and electric vehicles

The transportation sector is Ontario’s largest source of greenhouse gases, accounting for roughly 30% of the province’s total emissions.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s electricity is generated mostly from renewable sources, resulting in an extremely low carbon intensity. This makes our province one of the most environmentally friendly places in the world to own an EV.

By switching to an EV, drivers in Ontario can reduce their driving-related GhG emissions by 90%.

Electric vehicle batteries and manufacturing

Lithium-ion batteries (the type used in electric vehicles) are 90% recyclable while battery reuse and recycling are fast-developing industries.

Electric vehicles are smooth, silent and have better acceleration than gas cars because they are able to deliver full torque to the wheels immediately. For people who switch to electric, the performance is often one of the biggest surprises. Many EV drivers say they’ll never go back to gas.

Electric vehicles are safe.

Electric vehicles are just as safe as gas vehicles. They’re fully licensed for Canadian roads, are subject to the same safety tests as any other car and outfitted with the same safety features such as airbags, rear-view cameras, lane assist warnings, etc.

Many electric vehicles have exceptional range.

Electric vehicle battery technology is developing rapidly and today’s electric vehicles can travel over 200 km on a single charge – some can travel over 400 km.

Need to go farther? That’s where Ivy comes in. At Ivy stations you can put 100 km of charge on your battery in approximately 20 minutes.  

Charging with Ivy is almost always less expensive than fueling a gas car.

Assuming a gas price of $1.25 per litre and average vehicle efficiencies, 100 km worth of gas would cost approximately $9.00 whereas charging with Ivy costs approximately $6.30 per 100 km.

Electric vehicles are the perfect commuter cars.

Most people’s commutes are well within the range of today’s electric vehicles. EVs are also better in heavy traffic as they don’t continue to burn fuel when stopped.

Electric vehicles come in many shapes and sizes. Today there are a wide variety of makes and models of electric vehicles available for purchase in Canada, from compacts cars to mid size SUVs. Visit Plugndrive.ca for more information on EV makes and models.