By Dzifa Binka
Lowertown is one of the most walkable neighbourhoods in Ottawa. It’s a great place to live, but sometimes it’s nice to go on an adventure and take a little road trip. It’s hard to find official data on car ownership in our neighbourhood, but Statistics Canada data shows that only 35% of Lowertown residents use a car to drive to work compared to 69% in Ottawa overall. That means there are many people in this community who are probably already living car free or are good candidates to do so. If you’re car free like me, a car share is an economical way to explore awesome places in and around the National Capital Region. An electric vehicle (EV) car share is even better!
Some people think that electric vehicles are expensive to rent and don’t last very long on a road trip. Through Ottawa’s car share program, Communauto, I was able to drive an affordable EV around town and even take a trip to Kemptville in one.
With the help of the EV Experience program and Communauto, I drove a Kia Niro EV for the first time. It’s now my preferred car in the fleet. Before driving an EV, I had a lot of questions: how far can the car go before a recharge, and will I have to pay for that? Are there charging stations along the way? Does it feel different from a gas car? Now, I have the answers to these questions, and I’d like to share them.
If you’re worried about the cost of electricity for the trip, don’t be. When you arrive at your Communauto car, it will be fully charged with about 400 km of range. It also comes with an Electric Circuit card which is accepted at most charging stations in Ontario and Quebec. EVs are quiet, energy efficient and smooth running.
There are currently five Kia Niro EVs available in Communauto’s Ottawa fleet. There’s a QR code with tips and tricks on EV road trips for newbies in each one.
Ready for your first EV road trip?
When you get in a Kia Niro EV, you have 400 km to head out on an adventure. That’s more than enough for round trips to some great places outside Ottawa.
This list was made assuming no breaks for charging your EV. If you’re willing to charge up mid-trip at any of the spots we’ve suggested, your range will be even farther.
Wakefield
• 70 km round trip, 14 kg of CO2e averted.
• ~$150 with a Communauto membership for a weekend trip.
Although you can make the round trip with little concern for EV range, there’s a level 3 DC charger as you enter Chelsea from Wakefield on Route 105. There is also a handful of public level 2 chargers once you’re in Wakefield.
Merrickville
• 148 km round-trip, 29.6 kg of CO2e averted.
• ~$166 with a Communauto membership for a weekend trip.
Not that you need one, but Merrickville doesn’t have any public charging stations. If you need to top up, you can make a pit stop in Kemptville.
Gananoque
• 306 km round-trip, 61.2 kg of CO2e averted.
• ~$200 with a Communauto membership for a weekend trip.
Level 3 charging is available as you enter Gananoque. En route, you can top up in Smiths Falls or Carleton Place.
*CO2e estimates based on average of 200 g/km in a gas-powered car.
Learn more about EVs in Ottawa
Interested in learning more about EVs? If you are, check the following resources for great info on a variety of topics:
EV Experience: https://evexperience.ca/
Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en/save-energy/save-energy-homes/electric-vehicles
Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa: https://evco.ca/
City of Ottawa https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/environment-conservation-and-climate/climate-change-and-energy/electric-vehicles
Dzifa Binka is a Community Sustainability Program Coordinator at EnviroCentre. She’s been living car-free her whole life and believes it’s easier than most people think. She does not work for Communauto, she just uses them a lot.