A lot of our worries when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs) are just as irrational as those we have around petrol and diesel cars – both of which I have owned, too. Now I love sitting in a nice BMW with the roar of the engine, seeing the silver and tan of a BMW golf bag in the window and imagining each of the 650i test drives. So the car is nothing out of the ordinary to me. What worries me is the weak hands of the EU.
With no marketing machine like Ford can provide, the rest of the world may not know about all of the technical details of its new car, the FTB-P10, and we will all have to wait for a General Motors deal with Beijing to enjoy the true benefits of EVs and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs).
But there is a strong need for collective action now. And, if Ontario has anything to do with it, that can be achieved.
Ontario is right for self-sufficiency when it comes to filling the grid with electricity. A big part of this is because of the Ring of Fire, where more than two hundred mines will eventually produce all the energy required to fill the grid. Thanks to a new Low Emissions Technology Investment Fund (LETIF), the province is creating infrastructure that will allow hydro-electricity from the Ring of Fire to travel to other parts of the province through the already existing transmission system.
The result of all this is a high quality energy supply that is built right here in the province that will be reused not only for power but also for cooling and heating up at construction sites and factories. Energy saved from coal and diesel in this sector alone would cut energy consumption by 22 megawatts compared to conventional models, saving money and helping Ontario meet its emission reduction targets.