When four wheels are better than two
Two wheels not your thang? No worries, the selection of all-electric vehicles is expanding — from the Nissan Leaf and Ford’s Focus Electric to the Volt by Chevrolet and super-compact Smart cars.
Perhaps the most luxurious of them all is the Tesla. Available in three models from the California-based manufacturer, prices start around $78,000 for a 300-horsepower engine up to $100,000 and change for a 416-horsepower model that’ll hit 100 km/hr in 4.2 seconds.
It has one Canadian dealer in Toronto, but buyers can purchase online ( tesla
motors.com) and Tesla will deliver a car to your door. You can plug it into a wall socket for a slow charge or get a 220-line for a speedier fill. A spokesman for Tesla says the company delivered about 7,500 cars last year and in the first quarter of 2013 and is planning to sell 21,000 total this year.
Some retailers in Quebec and Ottawa have begun to install charging stations for electric and hybrid car customers. In partnership with Hydro Ottawa, the City of Ottawa has installed a charging station at City Hall. The City has also installed eight charging stations at the Goulbourn Recreation Complex in Stittsville.
Patrick Brulotte is president of a Tesla club in Quebec with nine members and growing. He says there are about 100 Teslas in the province and though his car is priced at $90,000, with a provincial rebate of $8,500 for plug-in vehicles and the $30,000 he won’t spend on gas for several years (a full charge costs him $4 to $5) the price of the luxury sedan is a bargain. “I adore my Tesla,” says Brulotte, an engineer for Bell Canada. It’s a fabulous experience.”