When I moved to Canada from France, I sold my car. I wasn’t going to need it for some time and thought I could buy a bigger, more recent model when I went back. I was also moving to this big urban center called Toronto, maybe you’ve heard of it? Years have passed and I’m still here, still without a car. 

I’m lucky, I live in a big urban center though, because I don’t have to rely on a car to move around. This holiday season, I was able to visit my friends and chosen family by bundling up and walking a few blocks for those closest to me. If I needed to go further, I could bike (yes, winter biking is a thing, and we give you tips to get started in this article) or I could use public transit. 

But what if I had moved in rural Ontario instead? How would I have aligned my transportation needs with my values to have less of a negative impact on the environment? 

Moving around in rural Canada 

We hear all the time that we need less cars on the road and that we need to change our transportation habits. While that’s very true, not everyone can face this change in the same way and people living in rural areas are still very dependent on personal vehicles to go to work, do their groceries or visit friends and family. While interurban travel is being developed, a first step to meet rural areas transportation needs and reduce GHG emissions is to transition to an electric vehicle (EV). 

This opens the door to a new set of challenges, and the first one to overcome is range anxiety, the fear that we will run out of battery before being able to recharge. This anxiety comes from two things: the battery range, how far we can drive before charging the vehicle, and how often we come across EV chargers. According to this chart, the average range for EVs is 378 kms, which is enough for work commutes and everyday travels as 80% of the charging happens at home. 

This also assumes that people have a garage where they can charge their car but if you live in a multi-unit residential building (or MURB) where not each unit comes with a garage, public chargers can come in handy. There are over 12,500 public charging stations across Canada and if they are primarily found in urban centres, programs like Aviva Canada’s Charged for Change aims at supporting underserved, rural communities by implementing Level 2 ¹ to support local residents with the EV transition. 

This is what Lily Morrow, Sustainability Coordinator at Selwyn Township shared after the program allowed the municipality to install new chargers for its community:   

“The Township’s electric vehicle chargers have expanded access to public charging for residents and visitors, helping make the transition to EV’s easier in our community. There have been some EV-centered events in the broader community since the chargers were installed where individuals and organizations bring EVs for others to see and test drive. The Township has also had an increase in calls from local businesses interested in discussing how frequently the municipal chargers are being used and how they can go about installing chargers on their own property.” 

Electric Mobility Canada also recently launched the program “In rural Canada, We Drive Electric”, to share people’s experience about driving an EV in rural areas and show that it is possible. 

What about EVs in the winter? 

Another concern people have when it comes to EVs is if they will be prone to issues because of the cold we experience during the winter months. 

The truth is, every vehicle and situation present a challenge, so it’s important to remember that winter (especially Canadian winter!) is hard on both EVs and traditional gasoline vehicles alike.  The colder the temperature, the more drastic of an effect it will have on the range (distance that your car can travel on a charge) of your vehicle. Additional options, like climate control, can also decrease the range. 

It’s important to understand the estimated range of your EV, while at the same time recalling that these estimates are typically “best-case scenarios”, and tests are often performed in laboratories under optimal conditions. 

In harsh temperatures, the range of an EV can be reduced by 40-50%, if you’re also blasting the heater, warming your seats and defrosting the windows – so it’s best to plan ahead. However, remember that even gasoline vehicles are not exempt from this range reduction, by comparison they can see a range drop of 18-20% when temperatures drop, based on a AAA study in temperatures between 20°C and -20°C. 

A different way of travelling to support small, local communities 

Regardless of the challenges, the fact remains – changes are needed to reduce the effects of GHG emissions for our planet, so it’s time to continue to rethink how we can support alternatives to gas powered vehicles in rural communities.  

EVs, Public Transport, Carpooling/Rideshare, bicycles and walking remain great alternatives and can help to bring communities together by providing creative solutions until a more mature infrastructure is implemented that responds to needs of individuals further away from city centers. 

We invite you to check out our Earth Day Canada “Mobilizing Municipalities” web page to find out more about initiatives being implementing across Canada in Electric Mobility, Tree Planting, Waste Management and Awareness. 

One day, if I decide to move out of the city, I might need to consider once again investing in a vehicle, but for now I appreciate the services that we do have, and I am encouraged to see more and more communities and individuals challenge themselves to make a change. 

¹As of December 2024 and as per NRCan’s Electric Charging and Alternative Fuelling Stations Locator.

Charged for Change, Senior Project Manager

Émilie Fargeout

Always up for a bike ride or a hike, Emilie is a true explorer! Green spaces are her favourite playground. Curious and positive by nature, she recently started living a more eco-friendly way of life and will not stop there. She likes to spend time with friends around a cup of coffee or a nice meal and to recharge, a good book, podcast or movie are her go-to choices.

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