Is it time to buy an electric vehicle?
With more speeds and more options, it’s getting easier to own an EV in B.C.
by Kirsten Rodenhizer
Dustin and Amanda Batchelor bought their first electric car, a Nissan Leaf, in early 2013. At the time, the model was one of only a couple of electric vehicles (EVs) on the market.
An IT professional and car aficionado, Dustin had long known about EVs but never seriously considered buying one. Amanda, a graphic designer, had been making an easy six-kilometre commute from their Esquimalt home until her office moved and her daily drive grew to 40 km.
“Our carbon footprint was increasing dramatically,” says Dustin. “That’s when I started looking seriously at electric vehicles.”
They test-drove a Leaf at a local dealership. Between the smooth, responsive ride and the projected savings on gas, it was an “immediate sell.”
“I would never go back to a combustion vehicle,” says Amanda. “After three years of driving electric, it doesn’t even occur to me to look at a gas station as I drive on past.”
