A new survey from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has found that while many who have made the switch to an electric vehicle are content with that decision, access to charging stations remains a significant challenge.
Kurt Sampson, CAA Atlantic’s zero emission vehicle advocate, says about 16,000 people from across the country responded to the survey.
Overall, he says between five and 10 per cent of new-vehicle sales are electric, adding they make up about two per cent of all vehicles on the road in Canada.
The survey found that 87 per cent of respondents say they’re likely to buy another EV when the time comes, and only three per cent said they would consider replacing their electric vehicles with something that uses gas or diesel.
That, says Sampson, suggests most problems with electric vehicles are minor.
EV charging station on Freshwater Road. (City of St. John’s)
That said, he acknowledges shortfalls in charging infrastructure, particularly in Atlantic Canada.
For Canada as a whole, he says 35 per cent of people say they are not satisfied with what’s available, while that number was almost doubled in Atlantic Canada.
However, Sampson notes that when broken down province-by-province, Nova Scotia appears to be “bearing the brunt” of the dissatisfaction.
