In April, the B.C government decided to maintain its EV supply regulations, while calibrating their ambition to align with the federal government’s (forthcoming) tailpipe emission regulations. As I said at the time, “Spiking prices at the gas pump reinforce the affordability and climate solutions win-win offered by EVs, and the importance of ensuring that British Columbians can readily choose to buy and charge an EV.” The most recent gasoline price spike is a stark reminder of our exposure to wild price swings triggered by events beyond both our borders and control. This is a feature, not a bug, of our reliance on oil. No matter how much Canada produces, or how many pipelines we have into B.C., prices will be set by geopolitics.
The best way to protect ourselves from this volatility and frequent high prices is to reduce our reliance on gasoline. For those who want or need to drive a car, this used to mean considering a more efficient gas car, or even a conventional hybrid. Now there’s a far better alternative to save on fuel costs: EVs.
With an AI-assist, I’ve compiled the numbers from 2020 through 2026, and they are stark. Over that period the average cost to drive a kilometre in an EV was just over two cents a kilometre, compared to over 15 cents for a gas vehicle. That’s a greater than seven-fold savings. Beyond the cost savings, the graphic also makes clear how much easier it is to plan and manage a household budget when your fuel costs are stable. Again, the volatility of gasoline prices is a feature, not a bug.
As numerous analyses have shown, when factoring in the higher upfront cost of buying an EV drivers in B.C still come out ahead when they choose electric over gas, given the far lower fuel and maintenance costs. And yes, not everybody buys a new car—but pretty much every new car is a future used car, and B.C’s early leadership in EV adoption is showing up in a thriving used car market.
Here’s another consideration, when you charge up an EV in B.C more of what you pay ends up staying in the province compared to filling up a gas car. Using data from 2024 (the most recent data available in full), we find that 75 to 85 percent of what’s paid in EV charging stays in B.C (and that’s in a drought year when BC Hydro was importing more power than usual). In contrast, when you fill up at the gas pump 55 to 65 percent leaves the province. If adjusted to remove the provincial carbon tax—which was eliminated in 2025—that increases to 60 to 70 percent leaving the province.
Lower fuel costs means more money in your pocket.
Using electricity instead of gasoline means more money stays in our province.
Environmental virtue or not, EVs are simply the better choice.
Polaris Strategy + Insight 