r/EVCanada

Our current car is getting up there in age- a 2013 to be exact. The mileage isn’t astronomically high (177k km) but I feel like it’s getting to a point where the costs of maintenance and repair will no longer be worth it. I fully intend to drive my car as long as I can as no car payment is almost always the better financial choice. I drive approximately 14-15k km per year so not a whole lot.

With that said, my wife and I are starting to discuss which vehicle we should get when the time comes. I’d like to go EV as it just makes more sense but I do have a pretty unique situation. I live in a house that does not have a driveway or consistent street parking so I can’t take advantage of charging at home. I do have access to level 2 chargers at work though. Additionally, I live 5 minutes away from a Tesla supercharger.

Not charging from home takes away the majority of the benefit of getting an EV.

I’ve recently learned about an EREV coming out from both Hyundai and Kia in the next couple of years which I believe would suit my needs a little better than a BEV. Reports say that it’d provide approximately ~1000km of range but this isn’t confirmed nor proven yet.

Is this a reasonable middle ground for our current charging situation?

Best car ever. Not cheap, about 65K cad - but I enjoy it a lot. Not my first EV, so I know what to expect.

What is unexpected - it came with GB/T connectors. Never heard about them before. Came with two GB/T chargers, l1 and l2.

Software - best in class (well, almost - Tesla still beats anything, but close).

Can not be happier.

My understanding is that the Kona EV is not available in the U.S. in Model Year 2026, but I'm noticing that even here in Canada, a lot of online shops have filters that have plenty available for the 2025 model year, while this year's isn't even listed.

Even on some of Hyundai Canada's own pages, there's a 2025 Kona EV, and other models listed for 2026, but not this vehicle.

This year is an incremental update and not a full refresh for this model, so I would assume almost all of the specs and info are the same, anything that would fit in or on last year's model would also work with the 2026.

However, I went to a hitch store recently and was turned away since Curt doesn't list the EV version under the a 2026 year at all. Has anyone else run into this and have a good solution? Go to a different shop that's a bit less strict? Wait for a few months to see if it gets added?

Lease is up on my current hybrid (Aug 1)

Looking ideally at an EV for a monthly payment around 500-600.

Daily commute is about 20-30km round trip depending on if i do daycare drop off. Probably will just do a level 1 charger at home.

We just moved to London so winters are apparently really bad so getting good winter tires is a no brainer but wondering if i have to get AWD or is a RWD like on the Tesla going to be ok?

Not brand loyal at all, getting out of a Ford F150 lease but definitely don't need a truck again.

Yes, another one of those posts 😂 I'm sorry!

Currently looking at possibly trading in my 2019 Ford Escape for an EV, and man, you'd think after buying a couple of vehicles it wouldn't be so overwhelming, but I feel like EVs are a whole other beast when looking at vehicles! My Escape is in great condition (I bought it new, sole owner), but with the cost of gas and everything, figured looking at options for an upgrade before I absolutely need a new vehicle was a good idea, so here we are!

Work commute is less than 10km round trip, and usual puttering around is also low distance (average maybe 100km a week at most when I'm doing a lot of driving around). I do travel to the US semi frequently as I am married to a US citizen (immigration/moving is a whole other story, we were married before things went sideways) and that's a solid 8hr drive one way, though it looks like EV charging along my usual route is pretty solid so not overly concerned about finding a place to charge. Even when I am in the US, my average daily driving is pretty low. I feel an EV is honestly perfect because then I never have to worry about having to go out to get gas (I'm lazy and the idea of just plugging it in at home or at work when I'm not going anywhere and having a "full tank" is insanely attractive). They've come a long way in the last few years that's for sure!

Currently don't have the option or ability to install a home charger, so will be relying mostly on Level 1 charging/public chargers when needed. But given my current driving habits, Level 1 should be more than sufficient.

Things I'm looking for in an EV:

• At minimum, same cargo capacity as my Escape, or at least extremely close to the same, particularly behind the rear passenger seats (34 cu. ft/963L)
• AWD (I know this means higher battery capacity/potentially less range/higher cost)
• Heated seats, side mirrors, and steering wheel
• Apple CarPlay/Android Auto (don't care if it's wireless or not, as long as the capability is there, though it looks like majority these days are wireless)
• Prefer an SUV as I like the height (I live in the prairies and it's easier to see around snowbanks in an SUV vs a sedan in winter), and with medium/large dogs the extra space is incredibly useful
• Comfortable/roomy front seats (husband is a bigger dude, and he finds my Escape a little uncomfortable to be in, especially on long drives, mostly due to the solid center console)

Vehicles I've looked at that have caught my interest:

• Hyundai IONIQ9 (great range even on the AWD, bonus of being able to figuratively toss more people in the rare time I'm driving more than 3 friends around, great towing capacity, awesome cargo space as I would most likely have the 3rd row down unless I absolutely need the seats, but lordy the cost makes me hesitate!)
• Kia EV9 (not a fan of the lesser range compared to the IONIQ9 though)
• Toyota bZ Woodland
• VW ID.4 (looks like maybe discontinued though???)
• Chevrolet Blazer (that towing capacity though sucks, especially when compared to the bZ Woodland that looks to be similar in size)

Absolutely not interested in Tesla; my boss funny enough just bought a Model Y and loves the thing, has been going on about it and how it's miles better tech wise than most other EVs. However, it feels too small for what I'm looking for. Cybertruck looks like something plucked out of the OG Halo games with its low poly graphics look. Plus, y'know, the whole debacle with who owns it.

As for why I'm looking in Canada specifically; honestly, even with import fees on some models, it still looks cheaper to buy in Canada vs the US. However, there are differences in available options and packages between Canada and the US (Toyota bZ Woodland for example doesn't offer a tow package in Canada, but does in the US), so that will be something to consider for sure when I'm ready to buy. I'm also looking for something that can handle Prairie winters, as regardless of how immigration and moving plays out I will be back and forth quite a bit as we visit family.

Let me know what you guys think and suggest, and thank you!

I'm in Ontario. Need something larger than a Leaf/Bolt etc. Even a BZ is a bit too small. Any pointers?

Hey everyone,

Full disclaimer, I don’t own a Tesla yet. Few questions I’m figuring out prior to the wife’s approval.

Has anyone here from Ontario made a trip to Newfoundland? Specially crossing the ferry to Port Aux Basque and heading up the west cost through Corner Brook and onwards. I go to Newfoundland to visit family every year, L’Anse Meadows is on my bucket list.

What was your range anxiety like?

If it helps, I am looking at the Model Y Premium

I’m heading to Peyto Lake then back to Calgary. I’d like to top up the battery a bit for peace of mind on the way back to Canmore to use the supercharger.
Where can i charge in Lake Louise? I know there isn’t a supercharger in Banff National Park. level 2 charger is good enough.

Hello! I'm looking to buy my first ever car here in canada, and me and the wife want an electric. Thing is, I'm very lost on what to do, how much down payment we would need and what would be our best bet, lease or financing. I've looked into the Kia ev4 and the Chevrolet Bolt 2027, but I'm not against the idea of getting an used car. We are in Quebec. Can someone give me some pointers on what to look for?

I'm looking to get an electric car, is a regular outdoor wall plug fine? How should I check to see if it can handle an ev?

Hey everyone, wanted to share feedback from a road trip I just completed in my EV5.

Route: Ottawa → Fredericton → Moncton → Halifax → Cape Breton Island → Ottawa
Total distance: 4,160 km
Efficiency: 19.8 kWh/100km average

Charging Infrastructure
Zero issues overall. I charged to 80% each time and stopped roughly every 250 to 300 km, since I wasn’t charging fully and kept the minimum arrival buffer at 20%. Max charging speed hit 155 kW, averaging around 90 kW. Each stop took about 20 to 25 minutes, perfect for a quick coffee break. Cost varied by provider but averaged around $0.50/kWh.

Get the CCS adapter. I originally planned to rely on Tesla Superchargers, but the very first one I tried failed. Right next to it was an Electric Circuit charger that worked great, so I used that network for the rest of the trip and never bothered looking for Tesla Superchargers again.

Efficiency Notes
At a steady 110 to 120 km/h, efficiency sat around 22 to 24 kWh/100km. In traffic or under 100 km/h, it improved noticeably to 18 to 19 kWh/100km. Wind had a real impact on efficiency too.

Navigation
Tried ABRP and wasn’t impressed, found it inaccurate. Switched to Kia’s built in route planner and was pleasantly surprised. The UI looks like it’s from the early 2000s, but the planning itself was excellent. It correctly factored in vehicle efficiency for charging stop suggestions and I used it for the entire trip.

Comfort
Great comfort for a vehicle under 50k CAD. No exhaustion after long stretches. With just two of us and one bag, we reclined the back seats and turned it into a bed for resting. Heavy winds did push the vehicle around within the lane a bit, but only in strong gusts.

Overall: Would absolutely do it again. Just plan your charging stops in advance and you’re set.

I'll start by saying I don't have an EV and don't know if this would even work, so before I contact an electrician I wanted to reach out on here to see if anyone's done the same thing.

I have a townhouse with a parking lot approx 40 feet from my front door. I have two plugs at my parking stall to plug my block heater in in the winter. I have full control over this plug as it goes to my breaker box in my unit. Per some research online, it seems like I could upgrade the breaker to a 20A and change the receptacle in the parking lot so I could charge quicker (potentially changing the line to 240v instead of 110/120v?) Has anyone in Canada done this? I'd like to switch to EV, but I want to be able to charge at home and level 1 charging (in Alberta) won't work in the winter months without constant supercharger top ups.

Thanks for any info you have!

So my wife and I just finished a cross country trek from Toronto to PEI with a new Kia EV4. A couple of observations, apart from the outstanding beauty and spectacular people, we will focus on the EV experience.

Ok, captain obvious points: but driving out to PEI is downhill so you can get great mileage. Driving back not so much.

110 km speed limits really impact mileage as well. Going faster uses more energy.

New Brunswick is a deep dark hole for EV charging. Tesla chargers are Tesla only and so even though the Kia EV4 has a NACS port you can’t use them. (This was a pain, come on Tesla you can update software in a car over the air, fix your chargers). They are ideally located to help you get through the province. CCS are not really located in great spots. For some reason it appeared that most charging stations in NB were all reduced power, so expect half the listed rate. As well, the CCS spots we found were shared, so when someone else plugged in, it was halved again. This made travelling back through NB (uphill the whole way) slightly more anxious than it ought to have been. NB power seems to be installing a few more new stations but none of them are active yet.

Speaking of downgrading power output, don’t trust your hotel charging rates. We were overnighting in Edmonston and the hotel had 6 chargers, but they ended up putting out 1 kWh rate, and would have needed 61 hours to charge. This really crimped the easy travel plans, and meant that we had to find a CCS charger (see above) to get us to Quebec.

Quebec’s infrastructure as expected is top notch. Ontario’s still needs some work, but in some aspects is better than Quebec’s mainly not having to exit the highway proper to access chargers. On Routes are finally set up (though not enough total heads).

For interest, the route was Toronto, Ottawa, Wakefield, QC, Quebec City, Riverie de Loup, Moncton, Wallace/Pugwash, Charlottetown, Edmonston, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto.

We saw almost 600 km’s outbound at 100% charge, and closer to 450 km’s coming back. We did end up stretching down to 11% (70km guess-o-meter) on the final stretch from Ottawa to Toronto. But generally never went below 20%.

Trip was a success. I’d plan a bit differently through New Brunswick, given just how vacant the province is for chargers, but other than that it was A spectacular trip with some exception golf courses ruined by my scrub swings.

Hope this helps others!

Hi all - we have heard that the added weight of EVs means that if you clip a curb you are more likely to need a new tire than with standard ICE vehicles. Does anyone have experience of this? We aren’t in the habit of hitting curbs, but it would be nice not to take a $500 hit if we make a li’l mistake.

Looking to buy a used 2023 Bmw i4 i35 msport package. The car has done shy of 39000kms. Any opinions and fellow owners review are much appreciated! The price of the vehicle is $39500

Hi all — sorry if this has been answered elsewhere; I did look. We are on the point of purchasing an Ioniq 5 or a Kona but have some questions about charging. Our house is on a 100-amp service right now and the panel is full. Upgrading to 200 amp will be $$$ so we’re sort of wondering if we can use an existing circuit for level one charging. We live in Victoria, BC, and drive fewer than 20 km a day almost all the time.

Am I deluding myself or is this a feasible option to avoid the upgrade and level two charger installation?

TIA!