Early Adoption, Numbers, and Electric Vehicles - Renewable

Our Renewable episode about Electric Vehicle owners in Edmonton features very few hard numbers. In it, we talk to Andrew Batiuk and Janine Rutledge, two electric vehicle owners and members of the Electric Vehicle Association of Alberta (the EVAA). Andrew and Janine talk about the role of early adopters in bringing this tech into the mainstream. The EVAA navigates a space between social club and activist organization. On one hand, the rapidly growing association is a gathering point for people who share a passion around which clubs have been forming for decades; a car. I like this car. You like this car. Let’s hang out and chat about it.

Photo: No more engine means extra trunk space for Tesla owner Andrew Batiuk

Where the EVAA becomes interesting is the intersectional nature of the vehicles they like. It’s not a club for people who like Oldsmobile’s or European sports cars. The members of the EVAA, as stated plainly in their name, care about electric vehicles; a kind of vehicle that by definition stands in stark opposition to just about every other kind of car. Yes, the club meets to talk and think about electric cars and how they fit into their lives, but they’re also trying to help normalize a technology they feel will make the world a better, more sustainable place. They take their vehicles to events and chat with people about how their cars work. They embody how these types of vehicles fit into a normal person’s life. They advocate, they answer questions.

Many of which come down to numbers.

In the episode we examine how electric vehicles fit into the lives of everyday Edmontonians, ranging from the Tesla aficionado to the school teacher who just wants to get to and from work. We draw the parallel between an electric vehicle and a smartphone; another device you charge at the end of the day.

Photo: Public electric vehicles charging stations in Edmonton

But for many of the people asking the EVAA questions, the discussion of electric vehicles is a discussion of numbers. It’s a discussion of energy consumption and miles driven between charges. While we chose to focus on the humans testing those numbers in a driving culture that’s skeptical of them, the numbers warrant attention as well. So in no particular order, here are some numbers about electric vehicles in Edmonton

30 - 40%
The amount of emission the electric vehicles reduce compared to a gas vehicle.

25+
The number of models available in Canada, ranging from compacts to SUV’s.

170+
The number of km an EV can, on average, go on a single charge.

Photo: Janine’s Leaf takes her 123 km when charged at only 79% battery capacity

$1,900
The annual savings on fuel and maintenance.

$600
The amount it costs to fuel an EV over a year compared to the $1,600 it costs to fuel a compact gasoline car.

$28,000 - $150,000
The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for fully electric cars ranges from $28,000 for a shorter-range subcompact vehicle to $116,000 for a luxury long-range SUV.

The MSRP for plug-in hybrid electric cars (cars that have both an electric and gasoline engine) ranges from $30,000 for a mid-size car up to $150,000 for a luxury subcompact car.

As the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, the EVAA will continue to provide answers and support to people interested in this evolving technology while advocating for electric infrastructure in the province.

For more information about the EVAA, visit their Facebook page or website for more information and updates on upcoming events.

Renewable is a series about visionaries, creators, community leaders and above all else, Edmontonians, each with a unique vision of a sustainable future in the heart of Canada’s fossil fuel industry.  

For more information, visit Edmonton.ca/RenewableSeries.