The provincial government gave B.C. electric car owners a jumpstart last week, but we are still a long way from kissing fossil fuels goodbye.
The province announced a $1.3-million project to build fast-charging stations in a dozen communities, but, strangely, not in the Okanagan.
The stations can give a car an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes or less, compared to your standard plug-in, which takes up to eight hours for a full charge.
The stations are being set up in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Whistler, Hope, Merritt, Nanaimo and Saanich.
One more location will be announced soon. Will it be Kelowna?
As much as going green is the right thing to do for the planet, and we applaud auto manufacturers for pursuing the technology, the cost of electric vehicles is still a major obstacle.
Of course, technology inevitably comes down in price as it becomes more commonly used, and that is why the government offers incentives of up to $5,000. But, even so, electric vehicles account for only a tiny percentage of sales.
And, even after rebates, they are far more expensive than the most efficient gasoline or hybrid vehicles.
The most common examples are more than double the cost of choices from the same automakers that deliver outstanding fuel economy of up to 60 miles per gallon.
The approximately $20,000 saved would buy an awful lot of fuel. Over the life of the car, you are unlikely to save that much in gasoline costs by going electric.
If you're going to go green, do it for the planet, not to save money.
- Managing Editor
Jon Manchester