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LETTER: BC Ferries’ EV policy should be based on facts, not fear

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Vehicles drive off the ferry at Tsawwassen, where hundreds more vehicles wait to get onto a full BC Ferries sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.

Stuart Walker’s recent letter supporting a ban on electric vehicles aboard BC Ferries is long on fear but short on facts.

Yes, BC Ferries has the right to make safety decisions—but those decisions should be based on real data, not outdated myths. The idea that EVs pose a unique fire hazard simply doesn’t hold up. Multiple independent studies have found that EVs are less likely to catch fire than gasoline-powered vehicles per kilometre driven. If fire risk were the true concern, gas cars would be facing more scrutiny.

Stuart points to a tragic cargo plane crash involving lithium batteries—but that incident involved pallets of unregulated laptop batteries, not the advanced, sealed, and monitored battery systems used in electric vehicles. It’s like comparing fireworks to a flashlight.

EVs have been sailing safely aboard ferries in BC and around the world for years. If there is a specific, evidence-based concern about certain ferry designs or emergency procedures, then BC Ferries should be transparent about that. But let’s not treat EVs like rolling explosives when the data says otherwise.

And the usual complaints—government rebates, HOV lane access, supposed grid strain—are just recycled talking points. EVs mostly charge at night when demand is low, and BC Hydro has already said our clean, hydro-based grid can support EV adoption. As for incentives: encouraging cleaner air, quieter roads, and energy independence is a smart investment in our collective future.

BC Ferries should prioritize safety—but that includes protection from misinformation. Let’s keep the conversation grounded in facts, not fear.

If EVs were truly a fire hazard, insurers would be panicking—not just letter writers.

Peter Q.

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