My husband and I are retired and live full time in a cottage community. We are a three-hour drive north of Edmonton and a 30-minute drive to the town when we shop and do errands.
In 2023, we installed a large solar array on our house. We have capacity to charge an EV at home, however we haven’t yet purchased an electric vehicle because of range concerns in our cold climate. We don’t have a garage. Also, charging infrastructure between here and Edmonton is limited and sometimes not working. Hopefully that will improve in the future.
Currently we own a late model hybrid SUV and an older gas minivan. The minivan is hardly used, mainly for local light towing jobs. We would like to upgrade to take advantage of electric charging at home.
We travel to town (an 80-kilometre round trip) two or three times a week. Trips to Edmonton and points south happen monthly, on average. Roads can be bad in winter, so an SUV is ideal. We will keep one gas vehicle for light towing and for backup, if needed, for longer trips in winter.
What car will give us the range we need to drive with confidence most of the year without relying too much on our older gas vehicle? We are open to new or one-two-year-old models. – Caroline, Marten Beach, Alt.
Mark Richardson: Caroline has the right idea, that home charging is the true game-changer for electric vehicles. If you must always pay commercial rates for your car’s electricity, the cost is often the equivalent of buying gas, even with today’s high prices.
Miranda Lightstone: Absolutely, and Caroline has the right set-up available, even if she doesn’t have a garage. Plugging in a car overnight means it can still be heated and defrosted by the time she is ready to drive during those colder months.
Richardson: The reality is that Caroline and her husband will be just fine with an electric car for driving in and out of town. If they plug in each night, they’ll never think about range limitations until it’s time for that longer journey to Edmonton. A large solar array should provide more than enough power for most of the year.
Lightstone: She says it’s a three-hour drive to Edmonton, about once a month.
Richardson: Yes, it’s around 300 kilometres from her home. That’s not an issue in the warmer months, but it’s more of a challenge in winter, especially in the extreme cold of northern Alberta.
Lightstone: A vehicle like the Hyundai Ioniq 9, with close to a 600-kilometre range on a full charge, will probably hover in the 450-500 kilometre limit in the colder months. That will offer some wiggle room to travel long distances without too much anxiety.
There is a lot of choice with the Ioniq 9, with some versions having more power, all-wheel drive or a longer range.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Richardson: That’s a big vehicle for daily driving, especially if they keep the minivan as the backup. What they need is an EV with a comfortable range of at least 350 kilometres in winter, and that means something with a battery that can be warmed and pre-conditioned on the go.
Lightstone: They also need to allow for several hours of charging while in Edmonton to get them home again.
Richardson: As an older couple, they must also be aware that specialist health care is often only available in large cities, which may create a need for more frequent visits to Edmonton. I think they need an electric vehicle that will provide cheap, dependable and comfortable transportation through the week, but those long drives to Edmonton will still be best in the gas-powered second vehicle.
Lightstone: Remember, Caroline does say they’ll keep one of their gas vehicles as backup, if needed.
Richardson: And I’m sure it will be used every time, even in summer, unless a high-speed charging station is installed halfway between their home and the city, or they stay overnight in Edmonton. Right now, there’s nothing along the route, and it can be both time-consuming and expensive to fully recharge at a commercial station.
Lightstone: So if the Ioniq 9 is too large, then my next suggestion would be the Subaru Solterra with solid all-wheel drive for those Albertan winter roads and about 445 kilometres of range. It’s a simple yet effective EV that’s also comfortable and not too big.
The refreshed 2026 Solterra has a new front bumper design, faster charging speeds, more range and more power than the previous version.Courtesy of manufacturer
Richardson: I’ll agree that the Solterra is a very good car for winter roads. It might even be better value than the Toyota bZ that’s almost identical, and which is built alongside it at the same Japanese assembly plant. But Caroline lives in rural Alberta, and the closest Subaru or Toyota dealers are in Edmonton. Same for Hyundai, for that matter. That’s doable for regular servicing, but it’s potentially a hassle, especially if there are any issues with the vehicle.
The new bZ isn’t an all-new car with changes that target range and charging speed.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Lightstone: What dealerships are closer for her?
Richardson: Like much of rural Canada, it’s the Detroit Three that best serve residents outside the large city centres: Stellantis, Ford, and General Motors. Stellantis doesn’t yet make an appropriate EV for Caroline and her husband and the Ford Mustang Mach-E is probably sportier than they would like. It also doesn’t have a good reputation for maintaining its driving range in winter. That means Chevrolet’s Equinox EV is the logical choice.
The Equinox EV is the lowest-priced EV in Canada that has at least 500 kilometres of range.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Lightstone: The Equinox isn’t my favourite, but it’s a solid choice for a straightforward, easy-to-drive-and-charge EV. I find the interior a little on the cheap side for materials. Also, the Chevrolet EV models do not support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but instead have their own onboard interface.
Richardson: The Equinox EV does feel plasticky inside, but it’s great value for money. The basic trim costs less than $50,000 and qualifies for the $5,000 government rebate. That’s with either front- or all-wheel-drive – manufacturers are scrambling to price their vehicles below that $50,000 cap.
Lightstone: The front-wheel drive has a longer range, with an estimated 513 kilometres in warm weather. The all-wheel drive is about 20 kilometres less than that.
Richardson: That will certainly reach Edmonton, and GM’s Ultium batteries hold up well against the cold – better than many other brands.
Lightstone: I still think Caroline should consider Hyundai – maybe the smaller Ioniq 5 that is just as capable as the Ioniq 9 and with at least 350 kilometres of range. Despite the dealer being farther away, it might be worth the trip to Edmonton for more vehicle choices than their local dealership lineup.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5Courtesy of manufacturer
Richardson: The Ioniq 5 is an exceptional electric vehicle and I’ll recommend it to anyone as a good buy, at the forefront of the technology. The rear-wheel-drive version with the larger battery will travel more than 500 kilometres on a mild day. But it may be a liability to have the nearest dealer 300 kilometres away.
Lightstone: You like the Equinox, don’t you?
Richardson: Yes. General Motors knows what it’s doing with electric vehicles – it sold more EVs in Canada in the first quarter of this year than any other maker – and the Equinox EV offers a lot for the money. It’s bigger and more practical than the Bolt, and not so large and costly as the Blazer. There’s no reason to stay away from the Equinox EV, and if Caroline can order one from a nearby dealer, I think that will be her best option.
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