A primer on the electric car market in Quebec
The Quebec government is trying to convince drivers to shell out the extra money for greener rides, such as hybrids and electric cars.
But much of the technology that powers these cars is still in its infancy, and varies between models, making buying a hybrid or electric even more daunting than your average car purchase.
Fortunately for those in the market, Jacques Duval and Daniel Breton wrote The Guide to Electric, Hybrid and Fuel-Efficient Cars, which reviews some 70 vehicles.
They spoke to CBC Montreal's Radio Noon about the status of the industry and what Quebecers can expect in the future.
Pros of going green
Duval said the incentive to switch to fuel-efficient cars is clear. "We can save our planet, save our kids from the pollution."
Montreal, moreover, plans to have 1,000 charging station in the city by 2020, which would outstrip the number of gas stations.
That makes it an ideal place to own an electric vehicle, said Breton.
Cons of going greens
On the flip side, some of the technology is still evolving.
Duval owns a Tesla, which comes with an automated driving feature. But he said that feature is still not reliable and needs more work before people can count on it.
He added that people are confused about the value of having a hybrid.
"People are saying the same things they were saying 15 years ago: they are expensive, they don't start in the winter, they are unfit for the highway," Duval said.
Are hydrogen cars coming?
Some in the auto industry believe the future of green driving lies with the hydrogen car. These cars convert hydrogen and oxygen into water to create electricity.
But Duval is not convinced such cars will ever hit the market, and if they do, they're likely to be very expensive.
"You have believers and non-believers for the upcoming hydrogen cars," Duval said.
Breton, for his part, is outright against the idea of hydrogen cars, adding it would hydrogen would be produced using shale gas in North America.
"It takes three times the energy to go one kilometre with a hydrogen car than it does with a hybrid. To me, it's a no-go."
Quebec government's new quotas
By 2018, the Quebec government wants zero-emission vehicles to make up 15.5 per cent of all car sales by 2025.
But at the moment, only one per cent of vehicles in Quebec are electric or hybrid.
The government's plan, which still has to be passed into law, would set up a credit system with car manufacturers for each electric vehicle they sell or lease. They risk being fined if the quota is not met.
Mark Nantais, the president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, told Radio Noon that's the wrong way to boost sales of environmentally friendly vehicles.
"Forcing the supply of a vehicle onto consumers where the vehicle doesn't quite meet their needs doesn't guarantee demand," Nantais said.
"Regulation in Quebec will not change the pace of development or model availability to Quebecers."
Norway, he pointed out, doesn't rely on government quotas and people are still shifting into fuel-efficient car ownership.
