Re: ‘Not sold on merits of electric cars’ (Letters, PQB News, March 30)
The efficiency of EVs is improving. As an example, the first Nissan Leaf had a range of about 120 kilometres; by 2022 this had increased three-fold.
In China, an EV will go on sale this year with a range of about 800 km.
For those with home chargers the time to charge an EV is at night, not ‘at the end of the workday.’ EVs can be programmed to charge when electrical demands are low.
Ninety-six per cent of electrical energy in B.C. is considered ‘green’, the vast majority generated by hydro. My understanding is we do have the dams but infrastructure – particularly transformers – will need upgrading. Transformers, relatively speaking, are cheap to upgrade.
In 2017 in the U.S., 60 per cent of trips by car were less than nine kilometres, so, for many EV drivers, there will be little need to use a public charger.
When these are required, charging times are shortening with some vehicles able to charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in 18 minutes. As charging times shorten the number of public charging stations in BC has increased from less than 500 in 2017 to almost 2,500 in 2021.
EV batteries are being both recycled and repurposed. By 2040 a ‘circular battery economy’ is predicted with several companies focussing on recycling old EV batteries, reducing the need for mineral extraction. Old EV batteries can also form power banks for solar electric systems.
In any case, batteries are recyclable, burned ‘dinosaur juice’ is not.
Change is coming. Embrace it.
Mike Frith
Parksville
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