On average a typical battery EV will cost less than $530 per year, or about $1.45 per day to charge at night. *1
A typical plug-in hybrid EV will cost about $700 per year, or $1.92 per day for fuel (including gasoline and electricity costs). *2
Comparable gasoline cars can cost about $2,500 per year to fuel – up to eight times more money spent each day. *3
Use Natural Resources Canada’s Fuel Consumption Ratings Search Tool to compare the fuel consumption information of different models.
Installing an Electric Vehicle Charging Station
As EVs become increasingly popular among Ontarians, charging stations are being installed in residential, commercial and industrial locations across the province.
If you are planning to install an EV charging station, here are some important steps to follow:
- Make sure the installer takes out a permit with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) prior to starting the installation.
- Installation is required to be done by a Licensed Electrical Contractor in compliance with the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. You can easily verify or find a licensed electrical contractor online at www.esasafe.com.
- Confirm that all equipment is certified for use in Canada by a nationally recognized certification agency – CSA, cUL, cETL – or displays other certification marks approved by ESA.
For more information about EV charging station installation, contact Ev-olution Charging Systems Inc.
Charging overnight
Charging your EV at night is cheaper and even greener. When you charge at night you can take advantage of significantly lower energy prices.
Charging your electric vehicle at night means you’re using off-peak electricity generated by cleaner energy sources like wind, hydro and nuclear, unlike during the day when natural gas may be required to meet peak demand.
At any time of day charging your EV with Ontario electricity will result in far fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less air pollution than a car would generate by burning gasoline or diesel.
Ontario has the capacity needed to meet the anticipated electricity demand from EVs in the foreseeable future. You can contact your local electricity utility to help ensure smooth, reliable charging for your electric vehicle.
Where to charge an EV
In addition to recharging at home, you can recharge your EV at publicly available charging stations. There are 1,300 Level 2 and 3 charging stations with over 4,000 charging outlets in Ontario today.
Resources
For more information about your electricity:
- Read more about electricity generation in Ontario
- Check Ontario’s time-of-use electricity pricing
1Value for Nissan Leaf, adapted from Natural Resources Canada 2018/19 Fuel Consumption Guide, using Ontario off-peak electricity prices, based on an average annual driving distance of 20,000 km.
2Value for Chevrolet Volt, adapted from Natural Resources Canada 2018/19 Fuel Consumption Guide, using Ontario off-peak electricity prices and a gas price of $1.20/litre, based on an average annual driving distance of 20,000 km.
3Estimate based on values from Natural Resources Canada 2018/19 Fuel Consumption Guide and a gas price of $1.20/litre.
