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Quick Facts
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles are 95% the same as a hybrid car with a gas-fuel engine, but add a plug-in and larger battery.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles have a 32 to 65 kilometer battery range and will use the gas-fueled engine for longer trips. Owners might only need to fill up with gas every two months or so.
Battery improvements that give vehicles longer driving ranges are expected.
The City of Vancouver is on the road to being an electric vehicle friendly city: a new bylaw requires that EV plugs be put in new single family homes and in bike storage rooms in new condominiums
Benefits of Electric Vehicles
Environmental Benefits of Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles emit less GHGs than conventional cars with combustion engines. This means they do not have the noise and pollution problems that gas-engine cars do. HEVs can also use bio-fuels which produce even less greenhouse gases.
A portion of the electricity in British Columbia still comes from burning fossil fuels. Primarily we use cleaner energy sources such as hydro electricity. The pollution is generated from power plants located away from residential and urban areas. According to a recent publication by Electric Mobility Canada, even when the electricity is not generated from renewable resources, electric vehicles can still significantly reduce GHG’s compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines.
MIT battery scientist Gerbrand Cedar believes that if the first 50 km of an average car’s daily range were provided by batteries rather than gas, annual gas consumption would be halved.
Economic Benefits of Electric Vehicles
Recharging from grid electricity is nearly emissions-free and economical. In BC, the cost per kilometer using electric re-charged power is approximately eight times less than using conventional engine cars.
Electric vehicles cost less to maintain than traditional vehicles. They need fewer inspections and no longer need: oil changes, air care, cooling fluid replacements and brake repairs. Battery technology continues to improve so that batteries are cheaper, more reliable, and last longer.
Availability of Electric Vehicles 
Hybrid electric vehicles are widely available to consumers and Neighbourhood Electric Vehicles are also in production today.
Some companies are making limited volumes of plug-in hybrid conversion kits. Local governments and special interest groups are testing vehicles converted to Plug-in Hybrids. The City of Vancouver has one in their fleet.
We expect major automakers to begin making Plug-in Hybrid and Battery Electric Vehicles in large volumes within the next few years so that the general public can purchase these near zero emission vehicles.
Timeline
The California Air Resources Board predicts commercialization of the various types of electric vehicles as per the timeline in this bar graph:
Links
Follow these links if you are interested in learning more about electric vehicles:
- Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association
- Electric Mobility Canada
- Plug In Partners website and their blog
- LiveSmart BC (fuel efficient vehicle rebates)
- BC Hydro
- The Economist Special Report: The Future of Energy
