Jon Seary, pictured here with his Tesla Model X SUV. Seary says the resource centre will offer test drives and opportunities to meet with EV drivers. (Heather Barrett/CBC)

An electric vehicle organization has been awarded a $295,000 grant from the federal government to establish a resource centre to encourage more drivers in Newfoundland and Labrador to go electric.

Jon Seary, co-founder of Drive Electric NL, says the money is part of a Natural Resources Canada program to raise the awareness of zero-emission vehicles nationwide.

“That’s what this centre is going to address … to get more people comfortable with the idea,” he said.

The number of electric vehicles in Newfoundland and Labrador has been trending upwards, but is still small overall. 

According to Motor Vehicle Registration, the number of electric vehicles registered in the province last year was up 46 per cent from the year before. But, just 284 of 333,870 registered vehicles in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2021 were electric.

The number of hybrid vehicles — which run on a combination of gas and electricity — is slightly higher, with 1,270 registered in the province last year. 

“We are trailing the whole country,” Seary said.

“Are we going to be the last to actually do something that’s useful and beneficial, not just to yourself, but everybody around you?”

Seary said the resource centre is slated to open in April and will work to get people more familiar with driving a car that doesn’t run on gasoline. He said that will include a significant online presence, as well as a road show across the province. 

“Part of our programming will include events where people will have the opportunity to try out driving some EVs, because they are a lot of fun to drive.”

Seary said there will also be meet-and-greet opportunities with people who already own electric vehicles. He said Drive Electric NL has found that a simple conversation with an owner is often more effective than any other method to increase EV awareness.

“Talking to a person who is already doing it makes far more sense than trying to get the information from the government website or going to a dealer.”

Seary says it’s a bit of a joy to no longer need to stop for gas. (Submitted by Jon Seary)

There’s a number of benefits to driving electric, according to Seary.

“I don’t brag that I’m not buying gasoline,” Seary said, in reference to the rising gas prices. But, he admitted it is a bit of a joy to not have to stop at the pump.

“You don’t have to be driving around in a gas car. You don’t have to be paying these prices. You can choose to buy a vehicle that will run on another energy source, one that’s produced right here.”

Seary said the province is in a unique position compared to the rest of North America, due to the power produced by hydroelectric dams.

Fourteen fast chargers, like this one in Galway in St. John’s, are scattered along the Trans-Canada Highway across Newfoundland. (Lukas Wall/CBC)

“It’s a locally produced, domestically produced energy source with a pretty stable price on it, whereas everything that you’re using in your cars right now is imported product. That money goes out of the province. It doesn’t come back.”

Newfoundland and Labrador is wasting the electricity produced in the province, Seary said, by not using it to power more vehicles. 

“Moving to electric vehicles will do a huge boost to the Newfoundland economy. Besides keeping the money in the province, it’s saving each family who drives electric thousands of dollars per year in operating cost.”

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/electric-vehicle-resource-centre-nl-1.6349809