Last month, I had to drive my daughter to a particularly congested area of downtown Toronto to have her wisdom teeth extracted. So I did what any caring parent might do: I took advantage of one of the nice side benefits of owning an electric vehicle.
EVs come with big perks that can save you a bundle, including gas savings and rebates on a purchase. But for me, the smaller benefits are special, even if they are not financially meaningful.
One of the best perks: many public charging locations, which are reserved for EVs that need a boost, can provide a convenient pit stop in busy areas.
EV owners can only use these reserved locations while their vehicles are charging. So on the weekday morning of the dental appointment, I ensured there was plenty of capacity in my car’s battery so that I could charge it for several uninterrupted hours without having to move the car.
I then used an app to scout for public charging options near our destination. The one I found, located within a convenient five-minute walk of the dental office, was still available when we arrived. That allowed me to charge my car for nearly three hours, while I waited in the office until my daughter emerged from surgery.
The plan couldn’t have unfolded any better. What could have been a stressful drive into the downtown core went smoothly, and I added about 30 per cent to my car battery’s state of charge.
During the drive home, while my daughter slowly came to terms with what had been done to her jaw, I was sympathetic. But, to be honest, I was also thinking about why I love my EV.
Other EV owners might have their own favourite perks that spark joy.
In some jurisdictions, including Ontario and British Columbia, EVs can use high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes normally reserved for two or more people, allowing drivers to cut through traffic. In Quebec, EVs with transponders can travel on some toll bridges and ferries for free.
Some retailers and malls offer the win-win combination of charging while you shop, and some offices provide free charging to tenants.
These little incentives might not add up to huge savings for EV owners. But if they encourage more drivers to go electric by easing the transition from gas-burning cars, that’s a good thing.
Yeah, incentives will end one day, as EVs reach critical mass. Quebec will start to wind down its generous financial incentives next year. Other perks are probably numbered, too. As EVs proliferate, allowing them all into HOV lanes will defeat the purpose of these lanes.
But some incentives are still needed.
In Toronto, the goal is to have EVs account for 30 per cent of registered vehicles by 2030. Accessible on-street charging options – which have proliferated over the past few years and are specifically suited for me and other drivers who don’t have a charging station at home – can help the city reach its goal.
End of story? Not quite.
If you drive a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE) and you’re outraged at the special treatment given to EV owners, then I have some good news for you: I’ve been hit with a couple of unexpected parking tickets recently while charging my car.
In both cases, neither of which involved the dental appointment, I left my EV for several hours in zones that are specifically designated for on-street charging. But – unbeknownst to me, I swear – the charging stations are near signs that prohibit stopping at certain times of the day.
I should mention, as well, that I haven’t been paying for parking while charging because I’ve always assumed that the two payments are combined, or that charging isn’t the same activity as parking.
I’ve never received a ticket. But the Toronto Parking Authority assured me, after I reached out for this article, that an additional parking payment is required where paid parking is in effect.
This is disappointing. I don’t believe that EV owners should be given a free pass to charge wherever and whenever they please. However, some clarity is needed.
Better signage would help. And, in recognition that slower chargers can require leaving your vehicle unattended for several hours, perhaps cities should only place public charging stations in areas where rules don’t change throughout the day.
I’m not taking any chances for now on. I’ll gladly pay for parking. And I’ll turn to fast chargers, which are rarer in cities but get the job done in 30 minutes or so while I sit in my car.
Better yet, I’ll take another look at getting a home charger installed. Though I passed on this option initially after getting my vehicle in early 2022 – it looked expensive next to cheap and convenient on-street charging – tickets have altered my calculations.
At least I have the choice. For drivers who lack parking, I wonder if tickets could whittle away some enthusiasm for EVs.
I hope not, because the benefits of EV ownership far outweigh the inconveniences. Nonetheless, I recommend approaching on-street chargers with caution: don’t walk away from your vehicle without consulting a lawyer.