The current cost of an EV

PHEV saves you money but there are set up costs though...

Right now, in the US of A and in Canada, the Federal governments are providing (iZEV - incentives for zero-emission vehicles) grants and rebates for EVs (Electric Vehicles). These are:

• BEV - Battery EVs
• PHEV - Plug-in Hybrid EV

It's all good and definitely, it's great to receive a discount on an EV, especially in some cases, you could afford an EV with the rebate; eg some car makers are often providing extra add-ons on the lowest trim of their PHEVs in order to match the features of their highest GAS equivalent trims. 

Canada pledged to be carbon neutral by 2035 (it seems possible, right?), and having all cars switched to EV starts now. In all honesty, even with the federal grants, the only provinces that really make it a compelling case to get an EV are British Columbia and Quebec. Why? 

Photos courtesy of the BC and Quebec provincial govt websites

Well, if you went to the provincial websites there, you can see there are further rebates on EVs (additional to the Feds'). I vaguely recall a conversation with a cousin in Montreal, explaining that the lowest trim of a RAV4 prime 2021 being as affordable as the top GAS powered version. And with these rebates in these forward thinking and modern provinces, it's clear to see how. 

As it is, we had been considering an EV in Alberta, but again, zilch. In fact, the other aspect to consider is having an EV charging station at home (which we are still hunting for) at least. And after a quick research, it seems this costs between $500 (level 1 charger that won't charge your vehicle overnight) to above $2000 (level 2 chargers that do charge your vehicle fully). 

Moreover, only Edmonton provides a grant on EV charging stations (well, if there's any debate on whether Calgary or Edmonton rulez, well, Edmonton is really getting the upper hand, leg and feet + toes at this point in time😅).  

Sadly then, the most we can afford to do for the environment is keep recycling and drive less (once we can actually get a car). Right now, the premium on a PHEV and the EV chargers is not very appealing, although we support the revolution towards eco-friendly 👍.