Even as the government recently announced the partial funding of the installation of 454 electric vehicle charging stations in B.C., some experts think the road ahead is still lined with obstacles for mainstream adoption of EVs.
"I would have thought the penetration rate [of EVs] would have been a bit quicker by now," said Tom Pedersen, executive director of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions. "There's no doubt the vehicles are fantastic, but I believe we're not seeing more rapid sales because of their high cost."
He says people are holding back, waiting to see the experiences of early users before they commit to the new technology. He compares it to the early days of the blue box recycling initiatives. When they were introduced, homeowners were slow to get off the ground to divert recyclables to the blue bins. Now, consumer participation in that program is widespread.
"People need to see more on the road," Pedersen said.
The province recently announced that it has already given out $1 million in incentives to the first 200 British Columbians who have purchased EVs since the program started in December 2011.
The $5,000 point-of-sale rebate off the pre-tax sticker price continues until March 31, 2013, or until the $14.3-million fund is depleted. It works out to about 1,370 incentives.
The new public charging stations will go a long way to give the industry a needed boost, says Pedersen. "It will help address the range of concerns of some people."
But he says EV sales may not catch on if the price of gasoline stays where it has been. He expects interest will go up with every jump in gas prices.
Pedersen also anticipates the price of EVs will go down, which will draw more people into the market.
"Technological advances will drive down the cost of batteries, the most expensive component on an EV," he said.
"It's like personal computers in the 1980s. Once the pace picks up, components will become cheaper due to [manufacturing] economies of scale."
Pedersen says mainstream EV adoption is important because the vehicles emit no greenhouse gases.
"With climate change and global warming, the implications of not adopting this technology has grave worldwide implications."
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