You Want to Buy an Electric Vehicle… Now What?

So, you decided to finally buy an Electric Vehicle (EV) or is heavily leaned towards not having a gas tank to call your own. Congrats!! You are taking a major step towards sustainability, building a better future and having the best car of your life.

First things first, let’s talk about range anxiety. If you’re anything like I was, the thought of running out of battery must shake you to your core. But fear not, my fellow landlubber! EVs these days have a range that could take you to the moon and back. Okay, maybe not quite that far, but close enough.

If you are also worried about playing a good game of “Find the charger?”, don’t worry! Nowadays this is becoming less of a problem and more of an advantage in places like British Columbia, as public and private charging infrastructure are growing faster than ever!

What to Do After You Decide to Buy an EV?

1 – Understand you will be buying a car, not a spaceship

A normal concern in new EV owners is not knowing how to properly use their new vehicle or not fully harness from all its features. Although this is a common fear, most EVs nowadays come with very detailed and simple guides on how to operate the car and learn all its exciting features.

2 – Where to buy

It is important to find an experienced and well-known dealership to ensure you will be well taken care of, just as you would in a gas-powered car. Our best pick for dealership is undoubtedly Motorize, located in both Sidney and View Royal, BC. Motorize is the only exclusive EV dealer in Canada, besides Tesla, and has sold thousands of EVs from multiple manufacturers, which makes them definitely worth checking out!

3 – Charging

Well, you knew we would talk about this… Charging is still shockingly (pun intended) seen as barrier when owning an electric vehicle, and it shouldn’t be! It is a simple as plugging your phone or laptop on a wall, but in this case, the “device” is a little bigger and thirstier. That is why having a level 2 charger installed at home is necessary when owning an EV. It allows dramatically faster charging, more features, and an overall better experience. You can find the ultimate guide to charging your car here.

4 – Rebates

Make sure you are up to date with provincial and federal rebates for EVs and Chargers, as you can save up to $9,600! Here is how you can take advantage of rebates for affordable home charging.

5 – Payment options

Make a choice on the payment method that works best for you, same as you would do with a gas car. Remember to subtract your average monthly gas and maintenance expenses for your current car from the cost (including tax) of the EV to get a more precise idea of how much you will actually be spending and saving. Depending on your current gas expenses, you might discover that you could save a significant amount and even afford a more expensive EV!

6 – Enjoy

EVs are not just good for the planet, they are also fun, exciting and will bring you joy with things you didn’t expect, so don’t forget to give yourself a chance to play around with your EV!