This First Person column is written by Akiko Hara, who lives in Vancouver. For more information about CBC’s First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
Not again. All the electric vehicle charging stations were taken, and I knew I was in for at least a 30- to 40-minute wait. And yet, the app on my phone showed two chargers had been available five minutes ago. I had driven in this pouring rain for nothing, but what choice did I have? My EV needed charging for the next day’s commute, and this was the closest station to my home.
When my old Hyundai Elantra received a death sentence at the repair shop in 2019, I decided that my new vehicle was going to be electric. Up until then, I had cared for the Earth by doing small things, such as using reusable grocery bags and recycling plastic and paper products. I wanted to do more. The demise of my gas-powered vehicle presented a perfect opportunity. I looked forward to driving a car that did not emit pollution or run on fossil fuel.
The fact that my condo wasn’t equipped with an EV charger didn’t seem a big obstacle. Considering the support from the provincial government and the increasing number of electric cars every year, I presumed that it would be only a matter of time before we installed chargers in our underground parking. Meanwhile, I could use public charging stations that were popping up around my neighbourhood.
The price range of electric vehicles dampened my initial excitement. I couldn’t afford any of them. Determined, I looked into second-hand EVs, and voila! There were plenty on the market. With a loan, I could afford one. After a month of research and field study, I purchased a second-hand 2016 Nissan Leaf.
I was happy. I loved the “coulis red” colour and the slightly nerdy look of its bug-eyed headlights. What I enjoyed the most was how quietly it glided on the road. Zero emission gave me peace of mind that I made the right choice for a world facing climate change. I never missed the roaring of the engine or the smell of the gasoline.
My first year of EV ownership was great. I utilized public EV chargers, most of which were free at that time, and enjoyed impromptu conversations with fellow EV drivers I met at the charging stations.
“Excuse me, no rush, but I’m just wondering how long you might be here.”
“Oh, just about ten more minutes?”
Then we’d carry on with our conversation, mostly talking about our EVs.
“Nissan Leaf? How do you like it?”
“I love it.”
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The federal government has already invested half a billion dollars in an electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, but construction screeched to a halt this week after the automaker demanded more. Host Catherine Cullen asks Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland whether further spending on the plant is a fair deal for Canadians.
Around the second year, the quest for charging started to become more frustrating than enjoyable. Significantly more people were driving EVs, which was encouraging. But this also meant that the chargers in my neighbourhood were almost always unavailable unless I got there before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. After repeated incidents of disappointment, I stopped checking the availability online beforehand. The charger that showed as “available” online was often taken by the time I got there.
In 2021, my strata council proposed spending $5,000 to assess the building’s underground parking for suitability to install EV chargers. I was excited. I felt optimistic this would be approved easily.
At the annual general meeting, a few hands went up when questions and comments were invited before voting. One resident expressed his opposition to the idea of paying $5,000 to the consulting company just to get their advice. I saw some nodding heads. Another resident proposed that we could make the charger available to the public and make some money out of it. Not wanting to appear selfish by advocating for my own convenience, I kept my hand down and quietly listened to the different opinions.
Just before the chair called for voting, another hand went up. She hesitated before speaking. But once she began, she expressed her opinion forcefully. “Electric vehicles are expensive,” she said. “I can’t afford it. Why would we support those few who can afford expensive cars? We should use money for something that benefits all of us, not just those who are affluent enough to purchase an electric car.”
I let her opinion sink in. Was I arrogant to assume that everyone would be supportive of having EV chargers in our building?
The proposal was defeated.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. Not because of my neighbour’s bitter comment, but because I suddenly remembered my intention for buying an EV in the first place. I should have spoken up. Greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide, climate crisis … These words jumbled in my head. Nobody had even mentioned this life-or-death issue we all are facing.
I could have at least shared my story. That I got my EV because I wanted to do a little more to protect the environment where we humans and all other species live. That I was in favour of the strata proposal not just for my own convenience, but to support future EV owners and to encourage those who are concerned about the sustainable earth. The fact our condo has a good recycling system in place is a sign that many of us do care. Given that, I wondered, if I had spoken up, would that have changed the outcome of the vote?
Two years later, our condo remains unequipped with an EV charger. Getting access to the public chargers in Vancouver seems to get harder every month. Still, I adore my earth-friendly, bug-eyed, coulis-red Leaf and have never regretted my decision to switch to an EV. While driving an EV might be just one of many ways to reduce the ongoing harm to the earth, I do wish that things were much easier.
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