FILE PHOTO - Mark Warren of FortisBC and Alf Soros of City of Kelowna charge up at the new stations.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/City of Kelowna
May 17, 2019 - 3:03 PM
New data from B.C. Hydro shows how much drivers could save by switching to an electric vehicle for trips in the Southern Interior.
B.C. Hydro's recent survey found the average British Columbian commuter travels about 20 kilometres each day by car. That would cost about $2 per week in a Nissan Leaf, assuming fuelling the electric vehicle would cost the equivalent of $0.25 per litre, or 80 per cent less than filling up a gas-powered vehicle.
The report shows fuel savings for popular round-trip commutes in the Southern Interior. They compare three best-selling vehicles with the Nissan Leaf: the Honda Civic, the Toyota RAV4 and the Ford F-150. The calculations are based on the average price of gas in each area are reported by GasBuddy.com on May 15, 2019.
It seems the longer your commute, the more you save annually.
There are currently more than 18,000 electric vehicles on the road, with 350,000 expected on the roads by 2030, B.C. Hydro says in a media release. There are also about 1,000 charging stations in the province.
"The majority of commutes can be achieved without charging at work," the release says. "Ninety-five per cent of all car trips in the province are less than 30 kilometres, which is ideal for electric vehicles."
The report does not factor in vehicle costs. A Nissan Leaf can cost $41,698, almost double that of a Honda Civic Hatchback at $22,190; the Toyota RAV4 goes for $27,990 and $31,799 for the Ford F-150.
KAMLOOPS
Taking the 16 kilometre drive from Aberdeen to Downtown Kamloops in a Nissan Leaf would cost about $82 per year.
The same commute in a Honda Civic would be $379 per year, $433 in a Toyota RAV4 and $650 in a Ford F-150.
MONTE CREEK
Going from Monte Creek to Kamloops City Centre is about 54 km.
The Nissan Leaf would cost $276 per year, the Honda Civic $1,279, the Toyota RAV4 $1,461 and the Ford F-150 $2,193.
LOGAN LAKE
From Logan Lake to Kamloops City Centre is about a 120 km trip.
Commuting in a Nissan Leaf would cost about $613 per year. That's almost a quarter of the Honda Civic's estimated annual cost at $2,843 per year. Toyota RAV4 drivers would spend $3,249 in gas per year, while those behind the wheel of a Ford F-150 would shell out $4,873 per year.
MERRITT
The commute from Merritt to Kamloops city centre is about 174 km.
Nissan Leaf drivers can expect to pay $889 per year; Honda Civic drivers about $4,122; Toyota RAV4 around $4,711; and Ford F-150 about $7,066.
WEST KELOWNA
Driving from West Kelowna to Kelowna city centre is about 15 km.
For a commute in a Nissan Leaf it's about $77 per year. Then a Honda Civic could ring up $358 per year. The Toyota RAV4 is estimated at $426 per year, and the Ford F-150 at about $613 per year.
VERNON
Going from Vernon to Kelowna city centre is about 100 km.
The Nissan Leaf's estimated annual fuel cost is about $511 for that commute. The Honda Civic is about $2,352, the Toyota RAV4 at about $2,688 and the Ford F-150 comes in around $4,032.
Note: B.C. Hydro did not provide any statistics for the South Okanagan.
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