Despite the money-saving incentives to ditch your gasoline-fueled ride in Canada, there are still less electric cars on the road today than anticipated by the Ontario provincial government.
Only 6,933 new electric vehicles were sold across Canada in 2015. In its recently released Climate Change Action Plan, the Ontario government made known that it wants five per cent of passenger cars sold annually in Ontario to be electric. However, with 284,000 cars purchased in the province last year, that would mean selling 14,000 electric vehicles in Ontario alone.
- Related Read: Electric Cars in Canada Sparks Driver Interest
In light of that, the Ontario government recently announced that they will be spending $20 million to install a network of almost 500 electric car charging stations across the province. By the end of March 2017, charging stations will be available at Pearson International Airport, various downtown office towers, and select stores and fast-food restaurants like Ikea, McDonald's and Tim Hortons. So why is it still so hard to get Canadian drivers on the electric movement?
For some, it's the question of reliability. According to Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca, the charging stations are being installed in hopes of reducing the "range anxiety" some motorists feel towards electric cars.
- Related Read: What to Expect from Electric Cars
Others have been turned off by the initial price point; the purchase price for a brand new electric car can be costly. Also, since electric cars are still fairly new to the automobile market, there aren't many used models for sale. An electric car, however, can save you thousands on fuel in the long-term and various provinces have launched financial incentive campaigns to subsidize the initial cost of buying one. For example, in Ontario if you buy a new eligible electric vehicle, you could save up to $13,000 with incentives.
Electric vehicles available in Canada
With all the hype surrounding the Tesla model vehicles and their driver assistance technology, the word "electric car" and "Tesla" have somewhat become synonymous as of late. However, there are quite a few electric vehicles on the Canadian market - for much cheaper too! Taking range and price into consideration, check out our top six battery electric vehicles (BEV) that aren't a Tesla below:
6. Mitsubishi i-MiEV
- Car Type: Hatchback All-Electric
- 2017 Model Starting MSRP*: $27,998
- Max Electric Battery Range**: 95 km
5. BMW i3
- Car Type: Hatchback All-Electric
- 2016 Model Starting MSRP*: $45,500
- Max Electric Battery Range**: 130 km
4. Ford Focus Electric
- Car Type: Hatchback All-Electric
- 2016 Model Starting MSRP*: $29,404
- Max Electric Battery Range**: 122 km
3. Chevrolet Spark EV
- Car Type: Hatchback All-Electric
- 2016 Model Starting MSRP*: $32,445
- Max Electric Battery Range**: 132 km
2. Kia Soul EV
- Car Type: Crossover All-Electric
- 2016 Model Starting MSRP: $35,195
- Max Electric Battery Range**: 150 km
1. Nissan Leaf
- Car Type: Hatchback All-Electric
- 2016 Model Starting MSRP*: $32,698
- Max Electric Battery Range**: 135 km
From hybrids to plug-ins to gas-powered, Kanetix.ca provides you with the best car insurance option for your ride. Some insurers may even offer you a discount up to five per cent for going green! Shop your car insurance rate and save today.
*Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) as listed on manufacturer's website
**Max electric battery range as tested by the US Environmental Protection Agency
