“The savings are enormous, both in $ and CO2”

No matter how you get around, go electric!

I love it when people write me to share positive news about a sustainability decision they’ve made.  Like this summary of two recent messages from a subscriber (slightly edited for context):

“My PHEV is performing better than expected.  From Oct 20 – March 31, I drove 4600 km, burnt just 150 litres and used just $108 in power.  I saved over 200 litres in gas – and this was winter driving.  No warm-up is required on cold mornings; that reduces CO2 and other pollutants, and preserves the gas engine.  The savings are enormous, both in $ and CO2.  This vehicle has me thinking I could probably have gone full electric.  It also makes you more conscious of your energy consumption.”

EVs may cost a bit more up front, but their operational savings more than make up for that, and make them less expensive overall than fossil-fuel powered equivalents. If you’re in the market for an EV or PHEV, here’s a great search tool to help you find, among all models available in Canada, the one that best fits your budget, range, feature and capacity needs.

EVs and PHEVs tend to get most attention these days, but other forms of electrified transportation are equally if not more impressive:

• An increasing number of zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles, such as vans, trucks and buses, are now available on the market, and all offer incredible fuel savings over their fossil fuel-powered equivalents.  Clean Energy Canada has just published this helpful new guide of available models, including key features like range and battery size.
• E-bikes are taking the world by storm, and for good reason: first, they enable anyone, regardless of fitness, age or health, to ride whether for pleasure or commuting; and second, they’re incredibly efficient, getting the equivalent of 900-1600 kilometers per litre of gasoline – that’s 20 to 35 times more efficient than an EV!!  Here’s a nice overview of e-bikes and their features.  And here’s just one site comparing available models; your local bike shop would probably be a pretty good source of information too.
• Then there are e-scooters, also super-efficient, with carry-under-your-arm convenience that no other mode has.  I’ll confess to knowing little about them, but here’s a nice overview of their benefits and niche, and here’s a site that reviews a number of models (with apologies for all the Amazon references when it’s much nicer to shop local). 

No matter how you get around, there are many great reasons to go electric!