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May 22, 2019 - 9:00 AM
VERNON - When Terry Dyck organized Vernon's Sustainable Environment Network Society first electric car show he found it difficult to find electric vehicles to use at the show. Just seven or eight years later all that has changed.
"The very first one we did we had hybrid cars because there weren't enough electric cars," Dyck said. "Now it's so easy, there's so many cars and so many people interested."
To showcase the electric car movement Sustainable Environment Network Society is holding SENS Electric Vehicle Show, May 23, allowing the public a chance to demo electric vehicles and find out more.
The electric car show will feature around 20 models and allow participants to take some for a test drive.
From what was a niche product made by only a few companies, the electric car market has come along way in just a few years with almost every mayor car manufacturer producing an electric vehicle.
"I think its an awareness to climate change," Dyck said. "And the fact that they're so economical to drive."
While an electric car's range between charges varies from model to model, BC Hydro estimates the cost of running an electric car is around 80 per cent cheaper than filling up a gas-powered vehicle.
And while prices for electric cars are higher than gas burning models, Dyck points out they are a similar price to a truck or SUV and currently the government is offering solid rebates to electric car customers. Both the provincial and federal government's are offering $5,000 rebates on the purchase of electric vehicles, and anyone who scraps an older vehicle before purchasing an electric one can receive $6,000 from the B.C. government's scrap-it program.
It's also getting much easier to find a place to charge an electric vehicle and charging stations are getting better providing faster charges. According to BC Hydro, a fast charging station can charge a car to 80 per cent within 30 to 40 minutes.
Along with electric cars, the show will also feature a Kelowna made Templar Marine electric boat.
"It will take you from Vernon to Kelowna return for 80 cents," Dyck said.
The electric vehicle show will also showcase another newly popular mode of transport, the electric bicycle. Dyck said while electric bikes have been available for a while the new technology of pedal assist bikes is far superior.
"You still pedal and you still get the exercise but when you get to a hill it will assist and you don't have to pedal as hard," he said.
Along with demos of the products the event will hold talks and presentations.
The SENS Electric Vehicle Show, takes place between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. May 23, at the Schubert Centre. The event is free. For more information go here.
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