Dear Editor:
Finally, an alternative to those horrible, polluting and gas guzzling automobiles! Electric vehicles (EV) have arrived and have even been legislated to replace all gasoline powered vehicles by 2035. Salvation at last! Or is it?
It would seem like our forward-thinking PM and his brilliant minister of the environment have saved the nation! But is Canada the right place for EVs?”
Given the economic climate of today, just how is it possible for average families, struggling to meet everyday living expenses, have the wherewithal to even consider the extra cost of any new vehicle, especially one with the current exorbitant price tags on EVs?
Consider the limitations of these creatures; the lack of availability for charging, the mathematics of calculating range dependent on so many variables, many of them unknown.
Consider Canada itself. Heat in summer demands air conditioning; cold in winter drains the battery more quickly, both thereby reducing the range. Distances between cities is often vast, making alternatives like public transit less convenient or often impractical.
Consider the future demands put on the electrical grid of the province. That extra demand for power does not come without a substantial cost.
Consider how disposal of used batteries is to be done, and even the costs associated with their replacement to the owner. The building of battery plants is rampant, but we have not heard much of any recycling plants specific to this industry. Is there no other viable way to decrease our carbon footprint for transport? How about providing incentives for everyday folks to do their part, short of gambling on this new technology, which is seemingly ahead of reality.
How about implementing a system similar to the old Ontario licensing annual renewals where the smaller the engine, the lesser the fee? Perhaps a further incentive acknowledging and rewarding lesser than a set standard allowance for distance driven.
If we are going to accept the carbon tax, then give a break to all agricultural workers and small business entrepreneurs. I know this may tread on a few toes, but do we really need so many pickups for basic family transport? Farmers, of course, trades folk too, but please think about the reality of the urban environment rather than a personal ego trip for some sort of ridiculous status symbol.
Time and technology will tell, and there will be alternatives to EVs. For now, use alternatives in which we can all participate and do our part, while waiting for solutions to all the difficulties these machines have already created.
Ron Johnson,
Mount Forest