The City has long been a leader in advancing sustainable transportation initiatives and is committed to encouraging the use of electric vehicles. Shifting from fossil fuel-powered private vehicles to low or zero emission vehicles is a key strategy in advancing sustainable transportation in the City. See Electric Vehicle Strategy.
Electric vehicles (EVs) use an electric motor instead of a gas-powered internal combustion engine. Benefits of EVs include:
- significantly lower fuel and maintenance costs
- five times more energy efficient than vehicles powered by internal combustion engines
- produce 80% less greenhouse gas emissions than an average gasoline vehicle over a vehicle's lifetime
- create less local air pollution and reduce the emissions of harmful chemicals in the atmosphere
- access to designated high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes across BC through the EV decal program
- quieter, helping to reduce overall traffic noise
Types of Electric Vehicles
There are two types of electric vehicles:
- Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) run solely on electricity, require zero gasoline and emit zero emissions. BEVs are an excellent fit for trips around the city as they have a travel range of anywhere from 100-500 km depending on make and model. Advancements in EV battery technology and the increasing availability of charging stations around the province are making BEVs more popular for everyday use.
- Plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a combination of a gasoline and a battery electric vehicle. PHEVs can run on electricity only, gasoline only or a combination of both. PHEVs can drive 20-60 km on their battery charge alone before switching to their internal combustion engine, which can extend the travel range by another 500-900 km on a full tank of gas. This design allows PHEVs to be a great fit for both short and longer journeys outside the city.
Contact Info
Environmental Sustainability, Planning & Development Department
Tel: 604-982-9675
Email: evcharging@cnv.org
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