Electric cars need to be rolled out wisely

Ready to plug into the electric car revolution? Having an electric vehicle parked in the driveway is one way to reduce climate pollution. And impress the neighbours. But really, we’d all be better off (and more impressive) if we took the bus or a bike.

Electric vehicles (including plug-in hybrids and all-electric) can definitely play a role in helping Toronto reduce greenhouse gas and air polluting emissions. Given Ontario’s current electricity mix, fully electric vehicles could cut emissions by 87 per cent compared to a conventional car, according to one estimate. As our electricity gets even greener -- as we phase out coal and bring on more renewable power -- this advantage will only grow.

But having commuters simply switch en masse from gasoline powered to electric powered vehicles won’t solve our climate woes. For starters, despite rapid advancements in electric vehicle technology, it will be a decade or two before a wholesale switchover to all-electric cars and trucks could even happen. We need emission reductions now – the ice caps are melting!

Second, in a city with worse traffic congestion than L.A., bumper-to-bumper electric vehicles aren’t going to add anything to our economic efficiency or quality of life. Our love affair with the private car is costly in terms of resources consumed, green spaces paved over and the energy-intensive sprawling development that it encourages.

Electric vehicles do have an important role to play in where there are fewer options for shifting to transit, telecommuting or using other transportation modes (walking, bicycling). Ramping up the use of electric vehicles in fleets -- including corporate service fleets, public works fleets, taxis and car sharing fleets -- is a good way to reduce lots of emissions since these cars get driven a lot, and often locally.

Fleets can also drive the development of supporting infrastructure, like plug-in points and two-way grid capacity because they create a concentrated demand. Toronto Atmospheric Fund has launched EV300 to accelerate uptake of electric vehicles by public and private fleets in the GTA; more information at www.FleetWise.ca

For the rest of us, getting out of our cars is the true solution to climate change, and a key to improving Toronto’s prosperity and quality of life. Cities, provinces and the federal government need to do their part by dramatically increasing support for rapid, frequent and convenient transit -- both capital and operating costs.

We need to do our part by leaving the car at home as much as possible and by encouraging the development of flexible workplaces that support telecommuting, flex hours, and other solutions that take the stress and pollution out of starting and ending the workday.

About Julia Langer

Comments

[Sonny Yeung]

Electric cars are over priced. Save your money and take Public Transit then you will have more money to spend at restaurants, on arts & culture.

[lukev]

You can already get street-legal electric bikes for under $1k. Sure, they're not an option if you are a contractor who carries a truck-full of power tools...

but for a single person and a briefcase, the electric bike is the perfect commuting vehicle!

[Joe McGill]

Julia, your article sounds like the talk of slow thinking politicians. All the average Ontario citizen wants is the chance to make their own decision and access to the market. I would have been in an electric vehicle 20 years ago. I know what I need and don't need 1000 people to do 100 studies first.

[Tim Short]

I am a cyclist and would love to see safer designs for cyclists along some of the main roadways in the City.
This will probably anger some of my fellow cyclists, but I wonder whether the City would commit more to establishing safer bike laneways if cyclists were asked to pay an annual fee (i.e. tax) of something like $20/yr?
I realize that this fee is completely out of whack in terms of the costs that bikes cause to our roads (i.e. no-wear & tear vs. cars) and environment (i.e. zero emissions). (Cars should pay way more!!!!) But if $20/yr or something like this can break a log-jam, maybe that's what we should do.

[Ernie]

If I wanted an electric car, I'd buy one! If I wanted to ride the subway, I would! If I wanted to take the "go" train, I could! Stop trying to dictate to everyone what they "should or should not do"! Until we get some leadership in this country and especially this city, nothing will change. This province is all based on the almighty dollar. As soon as the prices of everything go down, maybe, just maybe people might start to think a little differently but until that happens, forget it. The "go" train, the subway, the TTC fares for buses and streetcars are all far too high. Gasoline is going up to probably around $1:08 or more soon, so what's to look forward too! Moving out of Toronto is an option but you're still in Ontario. Like I say, what's to look forward too?????

[cost]

Remember, the best trip to reduce pollution, save the environment, and low cost, is the trip that is never taken. All travel modes require energy. PERIOD. Motion is to break the laws of gravity and friction by expending energy. Electric vehicles are no different. Where do you think the energy comes from to power these over-priced vehicles? Magic fairies?? Somewhere at some power plant, pollution is coming out of a stack or in barrels marked 'radiation'. Stop working on forcing people to take different modes of transportation, and start giving a full range of options. Whatever happened to the 4-day work week that Bob Rae promised us Ontarians?? Sounds stupid now, but that just cut 20% of the commuter traffic, and allows people to get up north or on the patio to relax.

[Ford pickup trucks]

Today's many automaker concentrate on electric cars. Which has been more advantage and very comfort than regular cars. Because electric cars is Eco-friendly and zero emission. It's really a great car. Thanks for sharing this nice information. Electric cars are really great.