Sky-high gas prices are pushing electric vehicles (EVs) further into the spotlight as of late, as more drivers think seriously about going electric.
Marketing professional Ash Molaei is one those people.
“Gas prices are a big reason why I’m considering switching my relatively new sport utility vehicle for an electric one,” he said in an interview.
The average gas price across Canada was $1.70 per litre Friday, according to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), up 38 per cent from a year ago. Some parts of the country have seen prices broach $2 per litre in recent weeks.
Sixty-one per cent of Canadians say rising gas prices and oil supply challenges have convinced them that it is time to buy an EV, according to a recent KPMG survey, with 51 per cent of respondents saying they will never buy a gas-powered vehicle again.
Meanwhile, six per cent of Canadians say they ordered an EV in the past month.
“My next vehicle will 100 per cent be electric,” Molaei said.
Joanna Kyriazis, program manager of clean transportation for Clean Energy Canada at Simon Fraser University, says EV drivers can insulate their wallets from geopolitically driven fossil fuel price swings such as what we’re seeing as a result of the war in Ukraine.
“Owning an EV means you never have to drive by the sign outside the gas station and worry about what price you might see,” she said in an interview.
“Fully charging a 413-kilometre range 2021 Chevy Bolt at home would cost $5 to $13, depending on which province you live in.”
Cost can still pose a deterrent. A new electric vehicle in Canada ranges between $32,000 and $160,000. At-home charging stations are an additional upfront payment and range from $300 to $700. When parts and labour are tacked on, that can add another $1,200 to $2,000.
Kyriazis says that prices are likely to come down, however. The price of batteries used to power EVs are already dropping due to factors including growing manufacturing capacity, higher demand for batteries from leading manufacturers and new battery cell and pack designs, according to a November 2021 report from strategic research provider BloombergNEF.
Kyriazis explains that even though the upfront costs are generally higher compared to conventional vehicles, EVs could be more cost-efficient in the longer term.
“It doesn’t take very long, sometimes just a year or two, before fuel savings make your EV cheaper than your gas car,” she said.
There are some additional incentives: there’s a federal rebate of up to $5,000 and a growing number of provinces and territories offer rebates as well.
In Ontario, where a previous rebate was later cancelled by Premier Doug Ford, the province and federal government announced millions in funding support for domestic hybrid car production last week but both Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dodged questions on the possibility of incentives to help Canadians buy them.
The steeper price tag does not worry Molaei. It is Canada’s lack of infrastructure for EVs that he is concerned about, like making it easier for people to charge their vehicles at home overnight.
He also likes to go on a lot of road trips, so the lack of charging stations in remote areas is something he is thinking about.
Cara Clairman, founder and CEO of Toronto-based Plug’n Drive, says we need to approach charging stations a little differently than we approach gas stations, and also ensure that we have banks of chargers, not just one thrown out in the middle of nowhere.
“We don’t need them everywhere,” she said in an interview. “We need to map out the places people would likely stop and want to eat or even shop during longer trips and put chargers there.”
Another hurdle is the lack of vehicles available and the length of time it will take for buyers to receive them – a year in many cases. Lingering supply chain issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic could keep wait times long.
With interest in EVs growing, automakers are increasingly choosing Canada to put their EV strategies into action. Honda Canada Inc. announced Wednesday that it would spend $1.38 billion over six years to upgrade its Alliston, Ont., plant to make electric hybrid vehicles. Earlier this month, General Motors Co. and South Korea’s Posco Chemical announced a deal to build a plant in Becancour, Que., to produce battery materials for EVs. GM is also preparing to launch Canada’s first full electric vehicle manufacturing plan in Ingersoll, Ont., later this year.
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
