Fraser Valley/Victoria – British Columbia has reached another milestone in the switch to electric vehicles (EVs): 10 years after the first EVs hit B.C. highways, there are now more than 30,000 on the road.
In November 2009, North America’s first production-ready, highway-capable EVs arrived in British Columbia: three Mitsubishi iMiEV cars that were brought in by the Province of B.C., City of Vancouver and BC Hydro.
In the decade since those first electric vehicles rolled along B.C. roads, record numbers of British Columbians are switching to EVs. The latest data shows there are now approximately 31,200 light-duty EVs registered. In the first nine months of 2019, EV sales have made up 9% of all light-duty vehicle sales in the province, up from 4% in 2018. In fact, EV sales in B.C. are the highest per capita in all of North America, exceeding Quebec (7%) and California (8%).
The argument(s) will continue to be; are there enough charging stations, can it handle highway mileage, What about long haul trucking?
FVN asks YOU, Are you considering buying an EV? Comment below.
FYI
- In 2019, in the first year of the program, EV sales are close to meeting the 2025 CleanBC target of 10%, which is mandated under the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act. Sales are legislated to achieve 30% by 2030 and 100% by 2040.
- Provincial and federal rebates mean people can save as much as $8,000 when buying or leasing an electric vehicle in B.C.
- Electric vehicle owners save on fuel costs, about $1,800 every year for the average B.C. driver.
- Electric vehicle drivers in B.C. can apply for an HOV lane electric vehicle permit, which comes with a decal that allows them to use HOV lanes, even if there’s only one person in the car.
- There are approximately 44 EV models available for sale in B.C., most of them priced in the $30,000 to $50,000 range, before rebates.
EV registrations and percentage sales from 2011-19: http://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BC-EV-Registrations-2011-2019-graph.pdf
