The future is now.
At least that’s the word from electric-vehicle enthusiasts parked outside the Orillia Square mall this weekend as they seek to give area residents information on the growing automobile trend.
Co-hosted by Sustainable Orillia, the two-day event that continues Sunday features more than 20 electric vehicles (EVs) available for viewing with some also allowing attendees to take a ride as well as presentations on buying and maintaining an electric carriage. The event runs from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sunday.
“Originally, it was issues about my carbon footprint that made me look into EVs, but it turned into an economics issue as well,” said David VanAlstyne, who purchased a Nissan Leaf three years ago and couldn’t be happier with his plug-in model.
“I can drive it on a couple of bucks of electricity versus $20 of gas.”
VanAlstyne, who now serves as Barrie-Orillia chapter lead of the non-profit Ontario EV Society, said there are plenty of misconceptions surrounding electric vehicles.
“I don’t have to do any oil changes, my vehicle maintenance is virtually nil and the batteries have improved dramatically so you can now do longer-range driving. And I have no issues with winter driving and park outside.”
Brechin residents Patti Dawson and Ken Brawn decided the event provided a great opportunity to check out a potential future purchase.
“I’m thinking about my next car and wanted to find out what it would take to go electric,” Dawson said. “I have a lot of questions and this seemed like a good place to get a lot of answers. This is like a one-stop shop.”
Sustainable Orillia chair Stan Mathewson, who owns a Tesla Model 3, noted that while the initial cost outlay for an EV is more than one with an internal combustion engine (ICE), consumers should consider the overall operating costs between the two vehicles.
“Each year, the EVs savings over ICE vehicles will grow and simple economics should be helping you decide in favour of buying an EV,” he pointed out.
“When you consider the other clear benefits of an EV such as few, if any climate-altering emissions and better performance, then the decision to go with the future is even clearer.”
Eric Lanning, a member of the Ontario Tesla Owners Club, travelled from Whitney with his chocolate Lab Tobi Saturday to participate in this weekend’s event.
“Over the two years I’ve had the car, I’ve had no problems whatsoever" with the electric motor, drivetrain and battery, Lanning said, noting that while a base model Tesla might not be in everyone’s budget ($115,000), the vehicle has saved him an estimated $5,000 in annual fuel costs. He has driven roughly 90,000 kilometres over the last two years.
“The engineering is fantastic and the suspension and navigation are amazing. The depreciation will be a lot less for electric vehicles and you can refuel your car at home. That’s a big thing.”
EV proponents expect 2020 will prove to be a pivotal year in the vehicle’s evolution with nearly 100 models predicted to be available by 2022.
As well, there are currently close to 6,000 charging stations in Canada with that figure also expected to increase while Petro Canada announced it will be adding fast-charging stations “from the Rockies to the Maritimes to get you across Canada.”
Sustainable Orillia task force member Fred Larsen opted to replace his traditional fuel sedan with an EV in 2016.
“In three-and-a-half years, I’ve had the brakes cleaned once and besides seasonal tire changes, have had no other maintenance performed,” Larsen said, noting he regularly travels between his Oro-Medonte home and Orillia and Midland.
“There’s virtually no maintenance and no emissions. I also love the quietness of it.”
Larsen said it was important for his organization to co-host the event since transportation has been identified as the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.
“The idea of holding this weekend show is that it’s one of the major ways we can address the climate crisis,” he said. “We’re on the cusp of a real revolution.”
