Plugging and Driving through Toronto’s AutoShare

Coordinated by Rebecca Spring, WWF-Canada’s Manager of Sustainable Transportation. Written by Julie Stauffer.
So although she relies on transit to get to her downtown Toronto office, she hops into a plug-in car when she has meetings out of town.
As a member of Toronto’s AutoShare, Plug’nDrive Ontario has access to the pure electric Nissan Leaf, a plug-in Toyota Prius hybrid, and the Chevy Volt, which has a gasoline-powered backup system that kicks in when the battery runs out.

(C) WWF-Canada

According to Cara, the experience is similar to driving a luxury car but far better for the planet. Electric vehicles are quiet, easy to drive and incredibly speedy on the pick up. The biggest adjustment, she says, is understanding the dashboard displays.
Does she worry about running out of battery charge? “You plan your trips a little better,” Cara acknowledges. She can travel to Markham and back in the Leaf without needing a top-up, but for a recent trip to Windsor, she opted to use the Volt.
The average commuter, however, has no need to worry. “You know if you have a 150-km range on your car and your commute is 50 km round-trip, even if you made a bunch of errands, you’re not going to get anywhere close to full range,” she says.
While electric vehicles fit her business needs, Cara is still waiting for a car big enough to accommodate her family, including two kids and a dog. “Right now there isn’t anything available,” she says, “but they’re coming.”
 
Live in Toronto? Pop over to Yonge and Dundas Square on Sunday August 12 for Electric Vehicle Day!

Ontario Power Generation is a generous supporter of WWF’s EV program which helps make this blog series possible.