CBC Article on EVs in AB (and Canada)

[S'toon]

Not bad article.

If you are one of the few Albertans itching to join the electric vehicle (or plug-in hybrid) club, you will find an altogether different car buying experience from what you've been used to before.

At some dealerships you'll find salespeople climbing into the car with you for a test drive with the car's manual in hand — because they've never been in one of these cars either. At another, you'll be told you can't test drive their EV models because the manufacturer isn't sending any to Alberta. You can still buy it, but it will have to be sight unseen — and the wait for it to arrive could be well into 2020.

If you're in the market for an EV, you might be inclined to visit a Kia dealership to check out the Niro EV or the Soul EV, since they are two of the most moderately priced, mid-sized EVs on the market. But that will only lead you to learn that Kia is not currently selling any electric models in Alberta, nor are they offering service for EVs if you actually go through the effort to buy one of their cars out of province.

As an explanation for this strategic decision, Kia Canada communications manager Mark James said that as supply of vehicles grows, the company will be expanding into new markets, but for now, Alberta isn't a priority.

"Right now we focus the limited availability of product on those markets that not only offer incentives to consumers but also offer the required infrastructure to support the vehicles," James said in an email.

All of this begs the question: How has Alberta fallen so far behind?


<snip>

The Tesla exception

Tesla has fewer than a dozen brick-and-mortar stores in Canada and paradoxically it is one of the few EV companies that's prioritized sales in Alberta, putting the only Tesla location outside of B.C., Quebec and Ontario, right here in Calgary.

The Model 3 was the number one selling electric model in Canada in the first quarter of 2019 and that seems unlikely to change given that it's been included in the federal incentive program, after originally being excluded.

To York, the cars are sleek, sure, but where the other brands really need to catch up to Tesla is in salesmanship. With the new technology and new experiences, salespeople need to be able to answer more questions on a topic that remains largely foreign to them.

"There's all these good resources like PlugShare and independent research that's been put together by Nissan Leaf owners on battery degradation and Tesla owners on battery degradation that the dealership employees really need to be aware of in order to land a sale. And I think that's just lacking here in Alberta."


<snip>

Full article at
Want to buy an EV? Slow down there, we're in Alberta

 

[Casmium]

Defiantly reminds me of the time that I walked into Mississauga VW, ready to buy an e-golf. Walked in the door, they just said no, so reserved a model 3 instead. In the long run i'm glad they said no. The model 3 is awesome.

 

[Hugh Mannity]

I just moved to Alberta and I'm happy to be showing off the car; several colleagues are enamoured with my car; of course I tell them all the net benefits of the vehicle. Most of them don't want to spend the $$$ for an S but they are researching the 3's - fingers crossed ;-)

 

[InfinitiGuy]

I had to stop reading the comments on that article. A lot of negative misconceptions and downvotes on replies that actually try to explain the benefits of EVs.

 

[S'toon]

I had to stop reading the comments on that article. A lot of negative misconceptions and downvotes on replies that actually try to explain the benefits of EVs.

Yeah, that's a problem with any EV related article on CBC.

My ad block addons now blocks the comment section, so my eyes aren't drawn to that section any more.

 

[N.Y.R.]

More FUD. I can tell you no one here in Alberta is buying gas and feeling “proud” like the article states, what nonsense. I actually know multiple oil execs who drive EVs.