Much of the content in the letter BC Ferries justified in ban on electric vehicles was misleading and erroneous. It was not a laptop that brought down a commercial airliner in 2010, but a large quantity of lithium batteries that ignited alongside combustible materials. It should be noted that during that year, 35 airline crashes occurred for reasons that had nothing to do with batteries.
As for the supposedly massive government rebates electric vehicle owners were allotted, the total amount over the last five years has been $3 billion, while the oil and gas industry has enjoyed over $75 billion in subsidies during this same time period. As humans, we are creating an Anthropocene Epoch where, if we are not mindful, we could become the next victims of a mass extinction.
It is difficult to imagine electrical energy usage becoming a widespread problem as EV ownership increases. There is more and more private residential solar power generation, which not only supplies enough power to fully charge that EV and the energy requirements of that home, but, as is being found, the excess energy can be directed to supplement the local power grid. Charging an EV overnight is equivalent to operating a few home appliances for a couple of hours.
Hopefully, more informed decision-makers at BC Ferries will re-evaluate the company's position regarding the transport of inoperable EVs with a more pragmatic regulation by reviewing the available data. A report from AutoinsuranceEX found that EVs exhibited 61 times fewer fires than ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles.
So, a warning to you EV owners out there, be wary about parking beside an ICE vehicle because they can be dangerous!
T.V. Gogol
North Saanich
