WATCH: If you’re heading out for the Victoria Day weekend, you’re going to notice more electric vehicles on the highways. Kendall Hanson now on why long weekend road trips in an e-vehicle are becoming more feasible for more families.
The highways are already busy with people trying to get a head start on the long weekend and if you’re in that traffic this weekend, you may notice an increasing number of electric vehicles on the road.
For years electric vehicles have been limited to shorter trips but that is changing.
“We’re planning to go down like to California in the summer and once you figure out the network and where the chargers are, I wouldn’t see any issue with an electric vehicle, like a fully electric vehicle at all,” said Elizabeth Herman, a Nanaimo resident.
In the four months since buying her electric/gas hybrid, Elizabeth Herman has filled the tank twice.
“There are so many chargers around,” she said.
While BC Hydro has an interest in more people buying electric vehicles, it said road tripping is only going to get easier.
“It’s going to get better. We’re putting in fast chargers all across the province,” said Ted Olynyk of BC Hydro.
“We have a fast charger here in Nanaimo. There’s a fast charger in Tofino at the visitor centre there. There are level two chargers across Vancouver Island as well so it will be so easy for drivers to go from Tofino to Alberta.”
There is more than 120 electric vehicle charging stations on Vancouver Island.
And BC Hydro said their latest data shows the transition to electric makes more sense or saves more cents, than ever before.
“With an electric vehicle, it’s actually only 25 cents equivalent per litre to fill up your vehicle so the savings are incredible,” said Olynyk.
But for those EV owners sticking around Victoria this weekend there’s another option. The first-ever EV scavenger hunt started today.
“It’s the first event of it’s kind in Canada and really we wanted to highlight the amazing capabilities of electric vehicles and to demonstrate that they absolutely can take part in a vehicle rally just like the traditional internal combustion engine,” said Kira Antinuk of the Victoria Electric Vehicle Club.
Those with EV’s can follow clues around the capital region for the next 10 days.
The surge of EV’s quietly making all kinds of travel that much more possible.
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