What’s your daily commute around the Prince George area and are you getting enough out of your vehicle in terms of gas efficiency?
That’s the question B.C. Hydro contemplated in a recent survey comparing the use of an electric vehicle on five popular round-trips in the city, concluding that switching one from a top-selling gas-powered car could save the average driver thousands of dollars a year.
The survey is based on an average daily travel of 20 km for a B.C. commuter, which according to the company is ideal for an electric vehicle.
At the equivalent of $0.25 per litre in gas, fueling an electric vehicle costs about 80 per cent less than fueling gas-powered vehicles and commuting 20 km a day in a Nissan Leaf costs about $2 a week, less than the average B.C. resident spends on a cup of coffee at $3.60.
According to the survey, comparing the cost of gas to electricity for a round-trip 15-kilometre commute from College Heights to downtown Prince George, shows the costs add up over the course of year.
- ELECTRIC
- Nissan Leaf = $77
- GAS
- Honda Civic = $340
- Toyota RAV4 = $389
- Ford F-150 = $583
Hart Highlands to downtown Prince George is 22 km:
- ELECTRIC
- Nissan Leaf = $112
- GAS
- Honda Civic = $499
- Toyota RAV4 = $570
- Ford F-150= $855
Buckhorn to downtown Prince George is 34 km:
- ELECTRIC
- Nissan Leaf = $174
- GAS
- Honda Civic = $881
- Toyota RAV4 = $947
- Ford F-150 = $1,322
Summit Lake to downtown Prince George is 100 km:
- ELECTRIC
- Nissan Leaf = $511
- GAS
- Honda Civic = $2,592
- Toyota RAV4 = $2,784
- Ford F-150 = $3,888
Hixon to downtown Prince George is 124 km:
- ELECTRIC
- Nissan Leaf = $634
- GAS
- Honda Civic = $2,812
- Toyota RAV4 = $3,214
- Ford F-150 = $4,821
In addition to saving money, about 98 per cent of the electricity B.C. Hydro generates comes from clean, renewable resources, and they believe making the switch will help with the reduction of emissions.
B.C. Hydro says there are more than 18,000 electric vehicles hitting provincial roads right with an estimated 350,000 expected over the next decade.
The average British Columbian commuter travels about 20 km each day in their car & right now, the savings from fueling that commute with electricity is at an all time high: https://t.co/IAiMFT041g pic.twitter.com/vbuDa6pbvK
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) May 17, 2019
