Back From British Columbia

Reporting In

   I noticed that I have not posted in over ten days so I figured I had better write something before an APB is issued. We were in Vancouver for two weeks visiting family and not much was else was done. That means I have little about which to write and right now I have to rake leaves. So here I will simply report on the weather which is always of interest. 

   On the few trips to various practices, this vehicle was noticed. There may soon be some in London since I have learned that Tesla is coming. On the other hand, maybe not, since I saw this headline: "Insurance Providers in Canada are Refusing to Cover Tesla Cybertrucks, Saying “We Don’t Cover Armored Vehicles.” By the way and to fill this space, I also read this headline which shows there is evidence of Musk in Northern Ontario as well: Ontario launches $100M partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink."

   After previous trips I have had more to report, so here is some old material if you are interested in British Columbia. It is, by the way, still called that. 
"British Columbia or Sasquatchia? and "The Left Coast."

I noticed other exotic vehicles on our trip in 2018: "Cullinan."

   You have not learned much, but at least this post will push the picture of the scruffy new Vice President farther down the page.

Electric Vehicles

 They Have Been Around a Long Time

   Recently I happened upon some advertisements for electric vehicles from early in the last century. A few are presented below and they are followed by a link to the U.S. Department of Energy's Timeline History of the Electric Car.

Even Trucks

   The U.S. Department of Energy provides a,  Timeline History of the Electric Car, from which the image below is taken.

There Soon Will Be More Electric Vehicles

   A recent Consumer Reports devotes much of an issue to a consideration of the EV market (hybrids are typically referred to as PHEVs - plug-in hybrid.)

"Automakers Are Adding Electric Vehicles to Their Lineups. Here's What's Coming."

By Ben Preston and Jeff S. Bartlett

Consumer Reports, July 22, 2021

"Plug into this: 100+ new EVs by 2024

The electric vehicle (EV) market is exploding, with almost 100 pure battery electric cars planned to debut by 2024. “These more affordable models have the potential to sway a significant percentage of the car-buying public toward buying an EV with their efficiency, performance, and lower ownership costs,” says Gabe Shenhar, associate director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. Take a look at our rundown of electric cars on the horizon."

In the Market?

   Recently a friend stayed over and mentioned that she needed a new car and was considering an e-one, or hybrid. It was clear that none of us in the room new much about cars that run only on electricity. 

   Questions about charging them were answered recently in this good article: "If I Buy an Electric Car, Do I Need to Install a 240-volt Outlet?" Jason Tchir, The Globe and Mail, July 20, 2021. Here are some of the answers:

That 120-volt plug-in will charge every electric car. But if you drive long distances every day, it might become an outlet for frustration....

Charging can seem confusing, but it’s basically pretty simple. There are three levels of charging, from slowest to fastest...

Level 1 is a standard 120-volt outlet. That’s the standard voltage in North America. It takes the longest of all three.

Level 2 uses a 240-volt outlet. Depending on the car, you can get back about 30 to 40 km per hour.... If you’re installing a Level 2 charger at home, you’d need an electrician to install a 240-volt outlet, the kind used for dryers. Then you’d buy a dedicated Level 2 charger that you’d mount on the wall or a cheaper plug-in adapter.

“I’d say think about a $2,000 budget just in case there’s extra electrical work on the house that needs to be done,” Stanyer said. “Some manufacturers are starting to include a home charging package 

Level 3 is also called Direct Current Fast Charge. These are public chargers that can, generally, get your battery up to 80 per cent full in 30 to 40 minutes....

   Apparently EVs today have a range of about 400 km and the author notes that if you plug a 2021 Chevy Bolt, which has a 417 km range, into a 120-volt outlet, it’ll gain about 8 km in range per hour. [The Bolt EV has just been recalled again because of more battery fires.]

In an earlier article Mr. Tchir described in detail the planning required to drive a Bolt 415 kms from Vancouver to Kelowna (one has to factor in the temperature, since the batteries are affected by both cooler and hotter weather.) See: "Testing an EV's Cold-Weather Range on B.C.'s 'Highway Thru Hell'," G&M, April 29, 2021.

Where Can You Get a Charge?

   One good place to get the information is here:

Electric Charging and Alternative Fuelling Stations Locator

Enter a location to find a station where you can recharge or refuel your vehicle in Canada. This map will also show alternative fuel stations by using the drop-down menu.

Where Can You Learn More?

   You can do some basic searching, as I did. Mr. Tchir seems to be the go-to man for EV information and he notes that often even the dealers' aren't good in providing it: "In Order to Increase Electric Vehicle Sales, Fill the Education Gap in Dealership Staff," G&M, July 22, 2021.

But even though Canada is finally seeing electric SUVs and trucks that would look at home in most driveways, there are plenty of potential buyers who wonder what it’s like to actually live with one.

Where and how do they charge? How much will their power bills go up? Will they still be able to go away for the weekend?

They’re not always getting answers at traditional dealerships.

In Toronto, you can learn more and take test drives at PLUG 'N DRIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CENTRE

What About the Tesla? 

   One now sees Teslas fairly often in London, but there is no Tesla Dealership. Where does one get them serviced? There are dealers in Ontario, but apparently these EVs don't need much servicing and some of it is done via the Internet. See TESLA. 

Post Script:

   This was prepared for the visiting friend, who says she is a reader of this blog. We will see.  If she comments, I will help her purchase one of those used, burned-out Chevy Bolts.

   Although gas prices are very high right now, gas stations are disappearing. For an old post about that, see: Gasoline Stations.