Drive Electric NL, an organization dedicated to showing people the benefits of electric vehicles, has received a funding boost from the provincial and federal governments.

A combined $264,000 will go toward working with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador, schools, and first responders on EV adoption.

As well, they will be offering things such as information sessions and EV test rides.

Drive Electric NL co-founder Jon Seary says one of the benefits of electric vehicles is that they are safer in an accident than gas-powered rigs.

He explains that the weight of the battery is located below the level of the axels, making it less likely that the vehicle will roll over in an accident.

As well, he says the battery also acts as a side-impact barrier in an accident.

Seary says there are also fire safety features.

“People say, ‘Oh I know electric vehicles burn,’ but they don’t explode like a gas vehicle,” he said.

“It takes an awful lot to get an electric vehicle to burn, and when it does it’s a controlled burn. It gives you time to exit the vehicle. And this is borne in test after test after test. The top four safest vehicles in the U.S. are all electric.”