EV Hub

This will vary on your lifestyle. If you live somewhere where your vehicle can be parked close to an electrical outlet, you're a good candidate for an EV. Next step would be to look at your driving habits. If most of your drive is just commuting to and from work and occasional errands, an EV may be perfect for your lifestyle. If you often drive on long trips, owning an EV is feasible, but you will have to make some minor adjustments compared to those journeys with an ICE vehicle.

The fundamental principles of driving don't change in an electric vehicle. You still need to be aware of your surroundings at all times and monitor your lights, wipers, and turn signals. However, driving an EV can be quite different from the ICE vehicles we're all used to. Peoples first reaction to an EV is often the quietness. With the audio system and HVAC systems off, the only things you'll hear are the tires and maybe wind. Then comes the thrill of instant torque and lack of gear changes, as there is only one gear and all the power is applied to the wheels right away. The final major difference is the types of braking and the introduction of regenerative braking, which is explained more in-depth in this Q&A.

The easiest way to charge an EV is at home. This allows you to leave your house every day with a full charge, which you can't say about an ICE vehicle unless you live at a gas station!

At the time of writing this, there are over 1,700 charging stations across Ontario with over 5,000 charging ports, and those numbers are growing rapidly. There are also many apps and websites available which show charging stations, and assist you in planning your journey effectively based on your specific vehicle. Some popular apps and websites are PlugShare, ChargeHub, FLO, and A Better Route Planner.

A dual level charger gives you capabilities to charge your EV with a level 1 or level 2 charger without having to purchase a charging station. This allows you to easily charge your EV as long as there is a plug nearby. However, to take full advantage of level 2 charging you will need an accessible 240-volt outlet. These are the plugs used for your washing machine and oven. It’s also recommended to have a 200 amp electrical panel if you use multiple big electrical items such as an oven, washer and dryer, air conditioning, or hot tub at the same time.

As most homes don’t yet have a 240-volt outlet accessible to the garage or driveway, it is recommended to contact a certified electrician to have one installed.

Charge times vary based on many circumstances. Charger output, outside temperature, and battery age are the main things to look at to determine charge speed. Charging will also slow down once you're closer to a full charge. Going from 20%-50% charge will happen a lot faster than going from 70%-100%. This is because it's easier for electrons to fill an empty space opposed to a full space. Think of it like a spring. It's easy to push down on a spring at first, but gets harder to push down once it's more compressed. Knowing that, it's recommended when traveling on a long journey with an EV to charge when the battery is very low, and charge up just enough until either your destination or the next charging station. This will allow you to spend more time on the road, and less time at a charging station.

According to a report conducted by Electric Mobility Canada¹, Ontario can support over 10 million EV's on the current grid without generating additional support. In fact, if 80% of the vehicles on the road were EV's, we would only see an increase of 10-15% energy consumption. This is due to the majority of people charging vehicles during off-peak hours when demand is typically lower, and people only charging EV's for short periods of time. This combined with knowing more EV's will be on the road soon has allowed us to be better prepared.

1. https://emc-mec.ca/wp-content/uploads/Electric-Vehicles-and-the-Grid-2009-07.pdf

Say goodbye to oil changes and a long list of components to be aware of. You won't find parts such as belts, spark plugs, clutch, hoses, catalytic converter, fuel tank, muffler, radiator, and valves on an EV.

However, regular maintenance is recommended with brakes, tires, and wipers. With the added weight on an EV, tires will wear down faster compared to an ICE vehicle of the same size. Many tire manufacturers are currently working on EV specific tires to combat this issue.

This takes the energy being produced from braking and applies it back into the battery giving you an extended range. Of course, you can brake with the brake pedal, as you would in an ICE vehicle. There is also a regenerative brake paddle on the steering wheel. Pressing this will slow the vehicle down without using the friction brakes, and regenerate the maximum amount of energy back into the battery. The third option is one-pedal driving, which is just that! When in one-pedal mode, the vehicle will accelerate like a regular vehicle, but once you let your foot off the pedal, the vehicle will slow down, eventually coming to a stop. This method not only makes driving a bit simpler, but also provides for more electricity to be generated and put back into the battery.

Extreme temperature will have an affect on an EV’s battery. Colder temperatures will result in a decrease in range, just like with an ICE vehicle. As battery technology improves, work is being done to determine how to mitigate this issue. GM’s Ultium battery has a heat-pump system to ensure thermal energy is not wasted and sent into the cabin or battery. On the other hand, severe hot temperatures can also have a negative affect on a battery’s lifespan if not driven for an extended time.

Yes. Just like with all rechargeable batteries, the capacity of a full charge will decrease over time. Experts say, on average, an EV battery degrades at a maximum of 2.3% over a year². However, with proper battery conditioning, this number will be lower. So, what does that mean long term? While this does mean you'll lose a slight bit of range over long-term ownership, GM electric vehicles carry an 8-year/160,000 km (whichever comes first) warranty on defects related to materials or workmanship to the propulsion battery pack and its internal components.

Please contact us for full details about warranty on Chevrolet and Cadillac vehicles as limitations apply.

1. https://electrek.co/2019/12/14/8-lessons-about-ev-battery-health-from-6300-electric-cars/