This story idea came from audience members, like you, who got in touch with us. Send us your questions about electric vehicles and climate change. We are listening: ask@cbc.ca
With gas prices continuing to rise, we have been listening to your questions about electric vehicles (EVs). Here’s what you want to know.
How much does it cost to operate an EV vs. gas vehicle?
According to a 2022 analysis of the total ownership costs of popular car models by Clean Energy Canada, the cost of every EV analyzed was lower — often much lower — than the cost of its gas equivalent, with only one exception.
An average EV will cost up to $5 to $12 to go from empty to full in Canada, said Joanna Kyriazis, clean transportation program manager at Clean Energy Canada.
“You’re looking at about $16 to go 100 kilometres [on gas] … where an electric vehicle uses about 20 kilowatt [hours] of energy to do the same,” said David Giles, EV technical specialist and founder of All EV Canada, a Canadian EV experts group.
To move an EV 100 kilometres, he said, the price would be closer to $2.
Most EVs tend to have lower maintenance costs, in part because they have fewer moving parts than a traditional combustion engine. That means they don’t require oil changes to keep those moving parts lubricated.
EV parts also require replacements less often. A standard battery pack lasts for about five to eight years.
However, when EVs do require repairs, it could be higher than conventional repair costs.
How often do batteries need to be recharged?
While range can vary based on the vehicle, battery health and driving conditions, most EVs now have a charge of approximately 400 kilometres, according to All EV Canada.
“It all depends on driving patterns,” Kyriazis said. For instance, if you are commuting 50 kilometres every day, a single charge could last up to eight days.
The charging port of the Chevy Bolt EV, an electric car compatible with multiple levels of chargers. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
However, it is not recommended to charge your EV past 80 per cent, according to Green Cars, an EV advocacy group, in order to allow space for regenerative braking, which converts kinetic energy to usable energy — if there is enough space in your battery.
You should also not let your EV fully discharge to zero per cent, which reduces the overall battery life, the group says.
So if you do own an EV, you may want to consider keeping your charge somewhere between 30 to 80 per cent to get the most out of your battery life.
When it comes to comparing a full tank of gas to a fully charged EV, “they are very close in their ranges,” said Giles.
How long does it take to charge?
The answer to this depends on the size of the battery, and the type of charging method used.
There are three levels of EV charging:
Level 1: Uses a common 120-volt household outlet. This method works great for hybrid EVs, which have smaller batteries. Depending on the charger and battery size, this could take up to 20 hours to fully charge an EV.
Level 2: Most commonly used method for EV daily charging. The charging equipment can be installed in your home. It can take up to six to seven hours to charge a regular EV with this method.
Level 3: Also known as DC fast chargers. These can be found in charging stations on highways and can charge an EV from empty to 80 per cent in 30 to 45 minutes.
WATCH | Explaining the different levels of EV charging:
The different levels of EV charging
2 days ago
Duration 1:46
Daniel Breton, president and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, explains the different levels of electric vehicle charging.
“Having driven electric cars for many years — it’s very rare actually that I use the fast chargers on highways, unless I go on a trip,” said Daniel Breton, president and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada.
How accessible are charging stations across Canada?
In provinces like B.C. and Quebec, charging infrastructure is really developed, said Breton.
“Where it gets a bit more complicated is when you live, let’s say, in downtown Toronto or Calgary or Montreal for that matter, because some people cannot charge at home,” he said.
If you live in an apartment or condo building and it doesn’t have infrastructure for EV charging, finding an outlet in an underground parking lot and keeping your EV plugged in overnight will help maintain the charge of the vehicle, Giles said.
As of May 2022, Canadian EV drivers have access to more than 16,000 chargers at over 6,000 public charging stations, according to data from Natural Resources Canada.
While most of these publicly available chargers are Level 2 chargers, there are about 1,200 DC fast charging stations across Canada.
“Eighty to 90 per cent of charging is at home when you have an electric car,” Breton said.
According to a 2021 analysis of EV readiness of the world’s 10 biggest auto markets, Canada ranks eighth among the 10 leading auto markets. The analysis by Ernst and Young attributes the ranking to low demand and an “insufficient” charging infrastructure.
Unlike looking for gas stations, drivers looking for an EV charging station may have to locate them on their phone using apps like ChargePoint and PlugShare.
“It’s a very different way of looking or trying to find a charger,” said Breton.
As of 2021, Canada had about 0.06 publicly available chargers for every EV on the road, according to the International Energy Agency.
Giles said the drawback in Canada right now is that the charging stations on highways don’t have enough chargers.
“I’m going to be at the charging station for 15 minutes — I pull up to a charging station and there’s only one charger and it’s already being used,” he said.
“Tesla is a good example of how it should look like — they have 10 charging stations at their charge points,” he said. The issue? Only Tesla models can be charged in these stations.
Many EV drivers have expressed their frustration over this issue.
A Tesla electric vehicle charging station is pictured in Surrey, B.C., on April 11, 2021. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
An analysis done for Natural Resources Canada suggested we will need, on average, one charger for every 20 EVs by 2025, and after more EVs roll onto streets, the ratio would fall to about one in every 49 vehicles by 2050.
In the longer term, EV charging in Canada needs to be high level, relying more on DC fast charging for public charging systems, the analysis noted.
Do you lose battery in cold temperatures?
The short answer is yes, but it’s not that different from what you might lose in a gas vehicle.
All electric cars experience some degree of range loss in cold weather, according to a report from the battery analysis firm Recurrent.
“Not all electric cars are equal in the cold. Some are more efficient. Some are less efficient,” said Breton.
Just like batteries in your cellphones, cold weather slows down battery chemistry, which in turn results in less energy for acceleration.
EVs also draw from the battery to either heat or cool the battery pack to keep it at a safe temperature. That energy being used to maintain the temperature of the battery also contributes to the loss of range.
However, gas vehicles also lose fuel mileage trying to heat the engine in cold weather at a similar rate.
Cold winter air is denser than summer air, which increases the wind resistance, which in turn increases the fuel consumption by about 1.3 per cent, according to Natural Resources Canada.
It becomes “harder to run through the air with any car,” Breton said.
WATCH | Do EVs lose more range in the winter compared to gas vehicles?
Do EVs lose more range in the winter than gas vehicles?
2 days ago
Duration 2:06
David Giles, EV technical specialist and founder of All EV Canada, talks about the range of EVs in winter in comparison to gas-powered vehicles.
Can our grid support it?
Right now the answer is yes, but in the longer term, changes would be needed.
Canada will need to make significant changes to its power generation and distribution systems to meet the rising demands and climate goals, according to a 2022 report by the Canadian Climate Institute.
Currently in Canada we have a “surplus of electricity overnight” produced to meet the needs of peak hours, said Kyriazis.
For many years, Canada’s surplus power has been sold to the U.S, according to Natural Resources Canada. Kyriazis said she thinks the best use of this surplus is to have more EVs plugged in to charge overnight.
“EVs can play a very positive role because it’s very easy to pre-program an electric car,” said Breton.
“What I would do is just use my phone, pre-program it to start charging at eight, and then it would be full by the morning.”
Giles said some people are also shifting to solar and wind power to produce energy for their EVs.
“However you want to produce that energy to fill your vehicle, you’re in control of that,” Giles said.
More and more electric vehicles are also becoming capable of not just storing energy but also powering a wider grid through bidirectional charging.
With bidirectional charging, vehicles are also able to discharge power from their batteries, feeding it back into buildings and the grid when plugged in.
How bidirectional charging works: When the wind is blowing, power can feed through the charger to the car. When demand is high, the car feeds power back to the grid. (CBC)
The simplest use of this technology is what’s being marketed by vehicle manufacturers: spare power when you need it most.
VANCOUVER – A report into a triple stabbing at a festival in Vancouver’s Chinatown last year says the man accused of the crimes had been let out of a psychiatric care facility 99 times in the year prior without incident.
The report, authored by former Abbotsford Police chief Bob Rich, says the suspect in the stabbing, Blair Donnelly, was on his 100th unescorted leave from the BC Forensic Psychiatric Hospital on Sept. 10, 2023, when he allegedly stabbed three festivalgoers at the Light Up Chinatown Festival.
The external review, ordered by the provincial government after the stabbings, says Donnelly was found not criminally responsible for killing his daughter in 2006 while “suffering from a psychotic delusion that God wanted him to kill her.”
Rich’s report makes several recommendations to better handle “higher-risk patients,” including bolstering their care teams, improving policies around granting patient leaves, shoring up staff training in forensics and the use of “risk-management tools,” such as GPS tracking systems.
The B.C. Ministry of Health says it has accepted all of Rich’s recommendations and has already begun implementing them including “following new polices for granting leave privileges at the hospital.”
Court records show Donnelly is due back in Vancouver provincial court in March 2025.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
MONTREAL – Laurent Courtois knows his team is struggling.
With CF Montreal on a slide and their Major League Soccer season hanging in the balance, the head coach needs his players to keep their heads high.
“Keep the course,” Courtois said. “Keep the course no matter what happens because we know what we are capable of doing.
“Most of us are extremely convinced we can still make the playoffs. We have suffered a lot lately, but let’s not drag our feet — let’s move forward boldly. In the end, there’s nothing to lose, so give it your all.”
Montreal (6-12-9) is winless in its last four MLS games heading into Saturday’s match against Charlotte FC (10-9-8) at Saputo Stadium.
Courtois’s men slipped to 13th in the Eastern Conference after back-to-back emphatic defeats before the international break. Montreal lost 5-0 at home to the New England Revolution on Aug. 24 before falling 4-1 on the road to FC Cincinnati on Aug. 31.
The team now sits five points behind the playoff line with seven games remaining in the regular season.
Asked what Montreal needs to do to turn things around, midfielder Bryce Duke put it bluntly.
“Win,” he said. “That’s as simple as the answer can get, just win games.
“Stick to the game plan, don’t give up easy goals. Don’t shut off. Obviously, a team is going to score on us, but we just can’t let that situation be ‘Okay, they scored on us, game’s over.’”
Caden Clark, acquired on Aug. 8 from Minnesota United FC, has only experienced defeat since moving to Montreal.
The 21-year-old midfielder said he doesn’t see a team that’s playing poorly but echoed that Montreal has lacked resolve.
“At least in the home game (against New England), we played good soccer,” he said. “We kept the ball, had possession, and tried to create chances through that.
“It’s just a lack of mental focus at certain times that gets us in trouble. That game shouldn’t have been 5-0.”
Montreal has the worst goal differential (minus-23) and has conceded the most goals (58) in the East after the lopsided losses.
Charlotte, meanwhile, has allowed only 29 goals, which ranks second-best in the conference.
Courtois identified Charlotte’s patience, compete level and experience as reasons for its defensive success.
But the visiting side is also looking for a better result on Saturday with two losses and three draws in its last five games. Head coach Dean Smith said Charlotte won’t take Montreal lightly despite what its record might suggest.
“They’ve conceded a lot of goals, so I’m expecting them to look to tighten up,” he told reporters in Charlotte. “But if you don’t respect them, that’ll be at your peril, because they’re a good footballing team. They play in tight situations and a lot of one-touch football. They’re looking to entice you into playing behind you, so we have to be at our best.”
Courtois’s message to his team? Play freely, stay focused and enjoy being on the pitch.
“We owe ourselves something different,” he said. “There are moments where we did good things but didn’t reward ourselves because we let stuff slip away due to a lack of concentration.
“Enjoy the games, bring out the best version of yourself. We know the elements that will put us in a good spot and the ones we want to avoid against this really solid team defensively. Be disciplined, have fun and give your heart.”
HONOURING NACHO
Former Montreal star Nacho Piatti will be inducted into the club’s Wall of Fame on Saturday. He is the sixth player to receive the honour, joining Patrice Bernier, Mauro Biello, Greg Sutton, Nevio Pizzolitto and Gabriel Gervais — the current team president.
Piatti produced 66 goals and 35 assists in 135 MLS regular-season games over six seasons in Montreal (2014 to 2019). The Argentine winger won the team’s outstanding player award four times in a row and was named an MLS All-Star in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
ON THE SHELF AGAIN
Montreal will likely have to play without winger Lassi Lappalainen, who practised alone during training this week. The 26-year-old from Finland has played sporadically this year, often off the bench, due to ongoing injuries, including a groin issue.
He produced three shots in the second half against New England but only played 31 minutes versus Cincinnati.
“It’s complicated. We know his qualities, but we also know he’s struggling to find a rhythm,” Courtois said. “It’s a shame for him.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
As authorities keep searching for a highway shooter in Kentucky, a Friday night tradition of football, pep bands and cheering fans has been sidelined for some towns.
Games were canceled at a handful of high schools near where the assailant opened fire on Interstate 75 in southeastern Kentucky. Twelve vehicles were hit and five people wounded in the attack last Saturday near London, a city of about 8,000 people roughly 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Lexington.
Security was being bolstered at high school football games that played on Friday evening.
Authorities continue to search a rugged, wooded area where Joseph Couch, the suspected gunman, is presumed to be hiding. The area has cliff beds, sinkholes, caves and dense brush.
Police have urged area residents to be vigilant and look out for their neighbors as searchers try to track down the suspect. Schools have been at the forefront of those safety measures.
Schools remained closed in several area districts, as students shifted to virtual learning. The disruption has paused a range of fall sports, including soccer, volleyball and cross country as well as football.
Among the schools calling off football games were North Laurel, South Laurel and Corbin high schools. The shooting occurred in Laurel County, and Corbin is 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) south of London.
Fans faced an uncharacteristically quiet Friday evening in towns that rally around their football teams.
“Friday night games are huge to our community,” said Tackett Wilson, athletic director at Corbin High School. “It’s a huge part of our community and our school.”
Practices were disrupted as schools took extra precautions while the search for Couch continues.
“Anytime you have a disruption during your season, it’s an issue,” Wilson said by phone Friday. “But you have to error on the side of caution. It’s student safety.”
Corbin officials will try to schedule a makeup football game later in the season, he said.
Amid the disruptions, fans are rooting for the law enforcement officers involved in the search.
“Right now, we are focused on backing our front-line officers and first responders so they can do their job in catching this guy and we can return to a safe and positive environment for our students,” North Laurel athletic director Ethan Eversole said.
He praised the safety plan devised by school district administrators. But students have had a big part of their lives put on hold as athletic activities have been idled.
“Our teams have not been able to practice all week,” Eversole said in an emailed statement.
Kentucky State Police brought in reinforcements to aid with the search, and authorities have bolstered efforts to keep area residents safe as the search continues.
“We will not pull resources away from the search for those other activities,” Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday. “We just want to make sure that people are ready to try to get back to their day-to-day lives, that there’s that extra (law enforcement) presence where people can feel just a little bit better.”
The day after the shooting, law enforcement officers searched an area near where Couch’s vehicle was found, with a view of I-75. There, they found an Army-style duffel bag, ammunition and spent shell casings, authorities said in an arrest warrant affidavit.
A short distance away, they found a Colt AR-15 rifle with a sight mounted to the weapon and several additional magazines. The duffel bag had “Couch” hand-written in black marker. Couch fired 20 to 30 rounds in the attack, investigators said.
