Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

WATTS HAPPENING

Electric vehicle show draws hundreds to TRU on Sunday

Jun 24, 2019 | 5:22 PM

KAMLOOPS — With gas prices in the city hovering somewhere in the mid $1.30 per liter price range, the cost of driving isn’t going down anytime soon.

With the improvement of electric vehicle technology over the past several years, it seems more and more people are planning a move away from internal combustion. On Sunday, TRU Sustainability partnered with the BC Sustainable Energy Association for an information session with some electric vehicles owners and dealers. The event drew a bigger crowd than organizers expected.

It was almost a full house at the TRU Grand Hall Sunday. Close to 500 people came out to the BC Sustainable Energy Association’s Electric Vehicle Show, a crowd that was close to ten times the size of the one that came to a similar event last year.

“Last year was 75 people, and we thought that was a great event,” Rob Purdy, manager for the event told CFJC Today. “We ended up with 500 people coming to our EV show.”

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Self-proclaimed Tesla Aficionado Brock Nanson spoke to those in attendance about the virtues of owning an electric vehicle. Nanson, who is an engineer, has extensive knowledge of electric vehicles. He believes we’ve reached a tipping point in the electric vehicle debate.

Image Credit: CFJC Today

“People have gone from being idly curious, coming out because they think it’s a neat idea and not really serious yet to [thinking], ‘now I need to make the change,’” Nanson said. “We’ve hit the point where it makes sense to actually buy and own one of these cars.”

Nanson may have a point. In British Columbia, electric vehicle sales were up significantly in May thanks to a federal incentive program worth up to $5,000 that kicked in. Thanks to a pair of provincial incentives, buyers could save up to $16,000 on certain electric vehicles; last Friday, the province announced they were cutting their stimulus to a maximum of $3,000, and lowering the maximum price threshold to $55,000.

Despite less rebate money available to EV buyers, Nanson believes electric vehicle prices will continue to decrease, which should attract new buyers.

“We’ve finally seen the price-point come down to the point where it’s very competitive with an equivalent internal combustion engine vehicle,” Nanson said. “That’s the game changer, and we’re going to see prices decline even more as battery technology gets even better.”

Image Credit: CFJC Today

“I think part of it is people want to do something about climate change,” Purdy said. “They know that if they drive electric cars, they can be part of that sustainable future.”

Whether people want to help the environment or want to reduce pain at the gas pump if Sunday’s crowd is any indication of the demand for electric vehicles in the city, it could mark a significant change in the way people in Kamloops get around.