A 33-country study balances the difference in “refueling costs” between electric vehicles and internal combustion engines with encouraging results if you do not refuel at the petrol pump

For Canadian EV drivers, $ 87.12 can go a long way. In fact, it could be more than four times the distance of gas vehicles.

This statistic was released as part of a new study, EV vs. Petrol Range, by Uswitch, a UK-based price comparison service focused on energy, personal finance, insurance and communications. The study says a Nissan Leaf Plus (known as Leaf e + in Europe) could travel up to 5,511 kilometers in Canada on $ 87.12 (£ 50) “fuel” compared to 1,050 kilometers for one gasoline powered Volkswagen Golf. a difference of 4,462 kilometers.

Natural resources Canada Data from 2016 – the latest available – said the average Canadian drove 16,249 km that year. Based on Uswitch data, this means that a Canadian Leaf driver could only spend $ 256.13 per year on recharging, while a golf driver could spend $ 1,347.77 on gasoline. The study does not take into account the price differences for fuel and electricity between the provinces.

“As the automotive industry tries to break away from gasoline and diesel, this study shows how economical an electric car really is,” says Joel Kempson, author of the Uswitch study, in his results.

“Charging electric vehicles is much cheaper than the cost of refueling. Even if they won’t get you as far as a gasoline car, owning an electric vehicle could make more sense for your finances – especially for driving downtown, where in many cases you can even avoid the toll. “

Study quantifies savings

The EV vs. Gasoline study ranks Canada 10th out of 33 countries surveyed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The study methodology compared two medium-sized hatchback models: the electric Nissan Leaf e + and the gasoline-powered Volkswagen Golf. The countries participating in the study were selected because they all sold the two vehicles used in the study.

This data not only shows how efficient electric vehicles are for travel, but also contributes to the overall efficiency portfolio of the electric mobility industry.

“It will be interesting to see how the adoption of electric vehicles advances as more and more drivers see the savings that can be made. It’s not just the fuel cost – electric cars are currently exempt from road tax and some communities have put in place austerity programs, ”says Kempson.

“When it comes to insuring an electric vehicle, there is a common misconception that it can be an expensive part of property. However, as more drivers opt for an electric vehicle and repair costs decrease, the insurance market will correct itself and prices should also decrease. “

In Canada, the expense is also offset by discount programs for the purchase of electric vehicles, such as those recently introduced in. were announced New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. A total of six provinces and two territories offer jurisdiction discounts in addition to the nationwide federal discount. Some of the provincial and territorial incentives extend to the purchase of used electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

Other countries featured in Uswitch’s top 10 are Austria, Norway, Sweden and the number one country in savings, Lithuania.

• Uswitch’s detailed findings.