The Ontario government just opened their first taxpayer subsidized electric car learning centre and it’s only going to cost taxpayers a million dollars!
Of course this will be another boondoggle, subsidizing an overhyped industry that impacts few regular Ontarians. Only 11,000 electric cars were sold in Canada last year with global sales accounting for 1% of all vehicle sales.
There’s a very good reason these things aren’t selling like hot cakes and it’s due to driving range.
The Nissan Leaf is the best selling electric car, yet the most you’ll get out of one charge is 172 kilometres. At a cost of over $34K, it’s a rip-off to get less than half the mileage of any other gas, or diesel powered vehicle.
With these disadvantages, nobody is going to buy these cars just because the government tells them to. Empty Tesla charge lots across the country are a testament to this.
As much as politicians like Rachel Notley, Kathleen Wynne and Catherine McKenna want us to switch to cleaner forms of transportation, not everyone can afford a Tesla especially when they can't use other people’s money to get one.
Besides, who can afford extras when the government is saddling us with additional expenses that come along with their ineffective carbon taxes that they claim will save the world?
So now, on top of shouldering the weight of the Ontario government’s poor use of tax dollars, the Liberals just added a million dollars to the pile that Ontarians will have to shell out for this electric car education centre.
Why is the Liberal government running a marketing business for electric car companies any way?
When government gets involved in any business activity besides implementing policy that helps all businesses thrive, it’s always bad news for taxpayers.
Winter solstices is exactly when the power is needed the most.
problem #1 Cold temperatures affect all batteries negatively
Whats the range at -35C?
- As of 2014, Alberta’s oil sands proven reserves were 166 billion Barrels…."
Since oil is a global commodity, Ken’s numbers are probably a better representation. It’s total global capacity that matters. If a couple large deposits are capable of producing 10mpbd but that’s the sum of global production capacity, by necessity the majority of users will have moved onto some alternative energy source by then.
Todays’ situation (where bitumen is one of the most expensive barrel, in a world that produces more oil than it needs) could continue for a very long time. If electric vehicles grow as fast as they have been, then declining demand will stay ahead of the depletion curve leaving plenty of oil for feedstocks etc… assuming we don’t go to renewable feedstocks which is a distinct possibility.
“Only 11,000 electric cars were sold in Canada last year with global sales accounting for 1% of all vehicle sales.”
Of note, though, is those sales are doubling every 18 months or so. 5% by end of decade, and 70% by end of next, is well within reason. These vehicles have The Rebel and their bituminous buddies worried.
Do people ever stop to wonder where their electricity comes from, in Ontario our Hydro is supplied 60% by nuclear and the balance is gas plants and water power, only 4% is renewables and we all know how that is working, so tell me is the switching to electric vehicles really going to save that much on emissions while we still have to depend on fossil fuels to keep the lights on. And sorry Ken but people who can barely afford to pay their hydro bill will not be investing in a Tesla any time soon. "
About 10% of Ontario’s generation is by gas plants, the rest is emission free. There is enough surplus generation at night to charge millions of cars without adding to emissions (Ont. net exports several gigawatts of power at night, often at significant losses. Better to find customers).
Even if you’re burning natural gas, the thermal efficiencies of the electric are much higher such that it does reduce emissions (efficiencies circa 40-50% 60% for the power plant and 80% for the car, vs about 20% for internal combustion).
Do You think Wynne is not feathering her nest?
All these crooked politicians have done so in the past. Chrétien did it, Martin did it, McGuinty did it, Mulroney did it. And these are the leaders. Some of the politicians in the back back benches are also guilty but to a lesser degree since they have less power.
Let’s not even think about the crooked senate.
Dump Justin bin Trudeau
Good one!
- As of 2014, Alberta’s oil sands proven reserves were 166 billion Barrels (bbl).
- Total oil sands production (mined and in situ) reached about 2.3 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2014.
166,000,000,000 / 2,300,000 per day = 197.6 years @ 2.3 million barrels/day
http://www.energy.alberta.ca/OilSands/791.asp
Reserves of 1324 Gbbl.
see http://peakoilbarrel.com/eia-world-crude-oil-production/
Global production is around 82 Mbbl/day or 30 Gbbl/yr.
30 / 1324 = 2.3% per year or 44 years. Peak oil export will happen well before the easy oil is gone.
100 years from now, our global society will not be oil based. Canada maybe, but not India/China.
How do you defrost an iced up windshield or heat the interior Wynne, do they have solar panels on the roof? Going to have to stop every 10k for a recharge during the Winter.
check out……. digging the coast 365
Another Liberal plan that doesn’t make sense, and is costly. The million dollars could be better spent in a thousand different ways.
I can’t decide if Wynne looks more like Orville Redenbocker or Colonel Saunders!
I’d be interested in reading where you learned that oil and gas has a life expectancy of 23 to 33 years.
Of the estimated oil reserves, we burn over 3% per year. Sure, reserves grow a bit each year, but not enough. We are facing the end of exports of oil perhaps around 2040 to 2050.
The electric car market can grow at 1-2% of total market per year. And in a crisis, it could grow by 5%. The Tesla Semi is going on sale in Sept. And a Tesla car will drive from L.A. to NYC by the end of the year with no driver input.
I must remember to ask him if he thinks the savings in gas will pay for the higher purchase price for an all gas car of the same type over the period of the life of the car.
The all electric cars are useless.