September 2023
As the price of gas nears $2.00 a litre, more are thinking about the savings from owning an electric vehicle which has an average purchase price of $40,000. Benefits include lower operating costs and reductions in emissions. The higher purchase price of an electric vehicle results in annual savings of $1,000 to $2,000 a year on fuel and maintenance costs.
Five percent of Canadians currently own electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles require charging. The majority of electric vehicle charging occurs at home which allows owners to avoid finding a charging station and waiting hours for their vehicle to charge.
When considering the purchase of an electric vehicle and residing in a high-rise community, their practicality includes three considerations.
Charging the Vehicle
There are 15,000 electric car chargers in Canada. Most are Level 2 systems which deliver about 200 kilometres of driving after a 20-hour charge. Only about 1,000 chargers are Level 3, which provides around 250 kilometres of driving on an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes.
Battery Capacity
Depending on the vehicle, an 80 to 100 percent charge allows for about 400 kilometres of travel depending on weather. Canada’s colder weather can reduce electric vehicle mileage by 20 percent and increase the time it takes to recharge a vehicle.
High-Rise Electrical Infrastructure
In high rise communities, the building infrastructure must be able to support the volume of electricity necessary to charge electric vehicles without impacting on other electricity needs by the corporation and residents. The cost of an at-home charging station in high-rise communities that have supporting infrastructure is between $1,000 and $2,500.
Specialty electrical contractors can assist building management in developing the best available solution in accordance with a community’s needs, timing and budget.
