Real Talk About EVs
You've probably heard a lot of wild claims about electric cars. Let's look at the actual data and clear up the most common myths we hear in Canada.
"EVs are useless in the Canadian winter."
EVs start instantly at -40°C, unlike gas cars which can struggle to turn over. While it is true that EVs lose 20% to 30% of their range in extreme cold, modern EVs have 400km+ of range. Even with a 30% penalty, you still get around 280km of range, which is way more than the 50km the average Canadian drives daily.
Source: Consumer Reports EV Winter Testing & Statistics Canada Driving Profiles.
"The battery will die in 5 years and cost $20,000 to replace."
By law, every new EV battery comes with an 8-year or 160,000 km warranty. But honestly, real-world data from hundreds of thousands of cars shows that modern liquid-cooled batteries only lose about 10% to 15% of their capacity even after 300,000 km. The reality is, the battery will likely outlast the actual car.
Source: Geotab EV Battery Degradation Study.
"Road trips are impossible because charging takes hours."
If you sit there waiting for it to hit 100% on a road trip, it will definitely test your patience since the car slows down charging at the end to protect the battery. The pro move is to charge from 10% to 80%. In modern EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, getting from 10% to 80% takes just 18 minutes at a Fast Charger. That's basically the time it takes to use the washroom and grab a coffee.
Source: Manufacturer DC Fast Charging curves.
"EVs are too expensive to maintain."
Actually, the exact opposite is true. An EV has way fewer moving parts under the hood. You can say goodbye to oil changes, spark plugs, timing belts, and complex transmissions. Plus, because the electric motors slow the car down to recharge the battery as you drive, you barely use your physical brake pads. Lots of EV drivers go well over 100,000km before even needing to think about their brakes.
Source: US Department of Energy & Consumer Reports Maintenance Studies.