Toronto, Ontario – In this week’s electric and autonomous vehicle report, a report from Clean Energy Canada shows the “true cost” of owning an EV, demand for GMC’s electric Hummer is hotter than ever and Sheridan College partnered up with Rogers to develop an AV roadmap.
The Charge to Charge
New analysis conducted by Clean Energy Canada has found that in a comparison between total ownership costs of equivalent electric and gas cars, EVs come out cheaper in nearly every case.
The report, entitled “The True Cost,” found that in comparing equivalent EV and gas-powered models on variables like purchasing, to refueling, to maintenance, in four of six cases the savings generated by going electric totalled between $15,000 to over $19,000, over an assumed eight year lifespan.
For example, the electric Hyundai Kona, Canada’s second-best selling EV, is $15,000 cheaper to own overall than the modestly priced gas Hyundai Kona.
“Ultimately, the road to clean energy is the road to affordable energy,” said Clean Energy Canada transportation program manager Joanna Kyriazis. “With gas pump prices squeezing Canadian wallets while climate impacts are felt across the country, the true cost of gas vehicles is even greater than we think.”
Hummer Hubbub
General Motors’ electric attempt at the popular GMC Hummer is picking up more steam than expected, as the automaker announced that they will be expediting production due to the high demand.
“Production’s actually slightly ahead of plan, and we’re putting things in place now to actually expedite that as well, so we can deliver these reservations quicker than we originally thought. We’re seeing momentum building,” Duncan Aldred, GMC’s global vice president, told CNBC.
According to GM, 95 percent of reservations placed for the electric Hummer have materialized into orders, with the Hummer EV SUV due for 2023, but customers shouldn’t expect to get their hands on the model’s pickup variant until 2024.
Advancing Automation
A new joint research project between Rogers Communications and Sheridan College promises to gather knowledge on the ways an expanding 5G network will interact with vehicles’ internal systems.
Part of the end goal in gathering this information, according to both organizations, is to establish a roadmap for running things like autonomous public transportation systems, driverless taxis, autonomous delivery systems and assisted driving for seniors and people with disabilities through a 5G network.
“Sheridan is thrilled to partner with Rogers on this exciting new research,” said Andrea England, vice provost of research at Sheridan. “Together, we have an opportunity to lead autonomous vehicle research and innovation in Canada that will make meaningful economic impacts, while also providing our students relevant problem-solving skills and expertise as they proceed on their career path.”
