Automotive News Canada - July 2021 - 26

26
* JULY 2021
Why B.C. is
plugged in
to EVs
Start with a green culture,
rebates, mandates and
charging stations
By BRENDA BOUW
VANCOUVER CORRESPONDENT
ASK MANDU GOEBL WHY BRITISH
Columbia is leading Canada in adopting
zero-emission vehicles and the
Victoria new-car dealer cites everything
from the green mindset of residents
and technological advances to
more than a decade of provincial government
policy supporting electric-vehicle
sales.
But the factor that gives B.C. an
edge over second-place Quebec? The
province's relatively mild weather,
said Goebl, general manager of
Campus Nissan.
" We don't get the extreme hot and
cold weather that you get in other
parts of Canada. That decreases the
rate of battery degradation in EVs.
" In Victoria, literally everyone
knows someone who drives an EV. "
In 2020, zero-emission vehicles
(ZEVs) accounted for 8.4 per cent of
total new-vehicle registrations in B.C.,
up from 7.8 per cent in 2019, according
to Statistics Canada.
That's ahead of Quebec, where
ZEVs represented 6.8 per cent of all
new motor vehicles registered, up
from 5.9 per cent in 2019.
Nationally, ZEVs accounted for 3.5
per cent of new-vehicle registrations
last year, an increase from 2.9 per cent
in 2019, StatsCan said.
B.C. CULTURE MADE FOR EVS
British Columbia and Quebec
have enacted ZEV mandates and
HOW B.C. BACKS EVS
* In British Columbia, rebates of up
to $3,000 (and federal incentives
of up to $5,000) help inspire EV
purchases, alongside the rapidly
expanding charging infrastructure
across the province.
* B.C. currently has more than
2,500 public charging stations,
which the provincial government
says is one of the largest such
networks and includes the first
cluster of public hydrogen fueling
stations in Canada.
* The provincial ZeroEmission
Vehicles Act, passed in
2019, also requires vehicle makers
to meet increasing annual levels
of electric-vehicle sales: 10
per cent by 2025, 30 per cent by
2030 and 100 per cent by 2040.
offer subsidies for both EV purchases
and charging infrastructure. And
Quebec's consumer rebates of up
to $8,000 are richer than the maximum
$3,000 rebates offered by British
Columbia.
But British Columbia's " culture
of environmental concern " as well as
its climate likely give it the edge over
Quebec, said Cara Clairman, CEO of
Plug'n Drive, a Toronto-based group
that promotes EV adoption.
" Remember, B.C. was the first
province to elect an MP from the
Green Party, " Clairman said. And " we
all know that extreme cold weather
can affect battery range. Even B.C.'s
British Columbia's " culture of environmental concern " and its
EV-friendly climate make it the epicenter of electric-vehicle adoption
in Canada, said Cara Clairman of Plug'n Drive. PHOTO: ISTOCK
northern regions aren't as cold as
Quebec's. "
Jurisdictions that offer EV incentives
receive the bulk of electric-vehicle
allocations from carmakers,
Clairman said. " Vancouver Island
[with a population of about 870,000]
has more dealers which sell new
and used EVs than anywhere else in
Canada, " she said.
Blair Qualey, president of the New
Car Dealers Association of British
Columbia, said his members have
been working with governments for
more than a decade to encourage consumers
to purchase EVs. The association
administers the rebate program,
which was launched in November
2011.
The government " realized that having
the network of dealers, and the
educational and promotional ability
[that group holds], is incredibly valuable, "
Qualey said. " They're also able
to directly work with potential customers
to discuss all the benefits that
come with the purchase of an EV. "
The combination of adding
charging infrastructure along key
roadways, rebates that include those
for consumers who buy at-home
charging stations, the ZEV mandate
and education have helped drive the
province's higher
EV adoption rate, he
said.
For example, the
province funds initiatives
aimed at
increasing public
awareness about
EVs through its
Emotive Community
Outreach Incentive
Program.
The dealer network,
Qualey said, is
happy to be helping
increase EV use.
" I've never met a
to expand its charging network in 2021
and 2022, among other measures, in
its plan to reach an 80 per cent reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions and
transition to 100 percent renewable
energy by 2050.
At Westwood Honda in Port
Moody, B.C., some of the most popular
used vehicles on the lot are electrified
vehicles such as the Leaf, Chevrolet
Volt and the occasional Tesla that
comes in.
Until Honda releases its own
battery-electric vehicle in North
America, the 2024 Prologue tall
wagon, the dealership is more than
happy to sell other brands to meet
the growing demand for EVs, said
General Manager Jonathon Wilson.
The dealership started stocking up
on EVs and taking them as trade-ins
about five years ago as more buyers
requested them.
" The biggest thing that we're seeing
is [customers are] tired of paying
higher gas prices, " Wilson said.
'TIPPING POINT' FOR EVS
But the sales momentum, even in
EV-friendly jurisdictions, could stall
without adequate charging infrastructure
and a national ZEV mandate, said
industry experts.
A recent KPMG
survey found that 68
per cent of Canadians
who plan to buy a
new vehicle within
the next five years
are likely to buy
a hybrid or a battery-electric.
Campus
Nissan in Victoria has
invested heavily in training
employees about EVs and has
nine Level 2 chargers.
PHOTO: CAMPUS NISSAN
car dealer that doesn't want to sell a
vehicle that somebody wants to buy, "
he said.
DEALERSHIP CHARGES AHEAD
At Campus Nissan, the dealership
has invested heavily in training
employees on EVs, Goebl said. It also
has nine 240-volt Level 2 EV chargers
- including four for the general public
- as well as a robust inventory of
EVs.
" At any given time, we'll have at least 50 new and used EVs on our lot, " said
Mandu Goebl of Campus Nissan. PHOTO: CAMPUS NISSAN
" At any given time, we'll have at
least 50 new and used EVs on our lot. "
The Nissan Leaf typically makes
up about 25 per cent of the new-vehicle
sales at the store, he said.
The City of Victoria, which began
installing its network of publicly
accessible charging stations in 2013,
has taken " aggressive steps " against
climate change, Goebl said. The
municipality plans to spend $175,000
Still, the survey
found that consumers
are concerned
about purchase price,
a lack of charging
stations, battery life
and range.
" Canada's automotive
industry is nearing the tipping
point, " Peter Hatges, a partner
and national sector leader for automotive
at KPMG in Canada, said in
a statement. The growing consumer
demand in the country for EVs is
" putting the onus on manufacturers
and governments alike to shift gears,
not only to meet the expected surge in
EV sales but to invest heavily in the
necessary infrastructure, " he said.
Daniel Breton, president of Electric
Mobility Canada, said Ottawa's accelerated
goal of making all new vehicles
zero-emission by 2035 instead of 2040
will help boost EV adoption.
" We need a strategy that includes
four pillars: rebates, education, infrastructure
and regulation, " he said.
- ANC
- Grace Macaluso contributed
to this story.
Automotive News Canada - July 2021

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