BC’s unique energy system is perfect for electric vehicles, but there are still a lot of hurdles to make them mainstream, says a UVIC economics professor.
In a commentary published by the Fraser Institute, professor Cornelis van Kooten says it’s impractical for the BC government to expect every new car sold to be electric by 2035. He says it will take an increase in power generation at least the size of another Site C dam to make it possible.
He also points out the government would lose out on up to a billion dollars in annual revenue from gas taxes.
On the plus side, he says thanks to a mostly hydroelectric-powered energy grid, BC would see emissions reductions after only two years if all cars were electric.
