I have aways been environmentally conscious, so about 10 years ago, I chose a car that had one of the lowest emission rates in the market, at that time: the Toyota Yaris. I used to drive it about 400-500 Km per week and spend about $35 per tank, which totalled about $1,800/year, just in fuel. Maintenance cost and emission test accounted for another $ 500/year. Total annual cost for Yaris: approx. $2,300.
When it was time to get a new car, I was seriously considering the Prius C, hybrid, which is more economical and has lower emission rates than a regular car. Besides, it would give me the peace of mind of being able to drive for long distances. But my husband convinced me that what I needed was an electric car!
Initially, I was very reluctant to buy an EV (electric vehicle), because I didn’t think that there was enough infrastructure in place to support it – what if I got stuck somewhere with no way to fill my tank? What if I had to drive over a steep hill? How does an EV perform in icy conditions? How long does it take to fully charge an EV? Can I charge the car using a regular outlet? What’s the acceleration rate? What if I wanted to wash it at a gas station? (this indeed crossed my mind, as I wouldn’t have any other reason to go to a gas station!). There were so many questions! And a lot of people came to me with similar questions about my electric car – that’s when I decided to write this blog!
Before choosing the model, we went to an electric vehicle show in Hamilton, Ontario – EV Fest. That was about 3 years ago. We saw the BMW i3, some privately modified cars, and the Tesla. The Tesla was beautiful, had the longest range, but it was very expensive! Prices of the EVs ranged from $35K to $200K. We didn’t make the decision then.
Some more years passed by, and we finally decided on an EV! Again, we compared the models using some great tools from the Internet (such as driving.ca). After much deliberation, we decided to go with the Nissan Leaf. It was roomy (compared to Yaris!), the range was acceptable – about 200 Km, the design was nice, and the price was also right.
In my next post, I will write about our test drive. Stay tuned!