Hey, where's the plug? CAA survey reveals the biggest issue for EV owners

Range is getting better, there are more styles on the market and Canadians seem more ready than ever to adopt the Age of Electric Vehicles.  

But according to a recent Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) survey, EV drivers are also feeling the static: 70 per cent feel there aren't enough fast and reliable public charging stations to meet their needs.  

Infrastructure – or a lack of it – is also the reason more than half of EV owners prefer to use gas vehicles on long trips, matching the 52 per cent of non-EV owners surveyed who cited limited public charging as the reason they won't purchase an electric vehicle. Even so, the CAA survey conducted by PlugShare Research also found 87 per cent of EV owners say they'd buy another when it was time to replace their current model. 

"The result of our survey paints a picture of people happy they bought an EV, saying they are cheaper to operate and easier to maintain than their previous gas-powered vehicles," says Ian Jack, vice-president of public affairs, CAA National.  

"But it also found the experience of EV owners mirrors what the general public thinks – public charging isn't good enough, especially outside major urban centres, and they fear being caught with a dead battery in the winter." 

For EV driver Chris Blackman, the issue of limited public fast chargers in the National Capital Region impacts his workday, too. The long-standing CAA Member drives a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica van for work. He says it's a "smooth, comfortable ride," but says he's also been stuck sitting in a parking lot for 90 minutes, waiting for a fast charger to do its work.  

"The charging spots are always full, and you have to be careful about where you go around the city. On a fast charger, it takes an hour to hour-and-a-half; on a regular charger, it's overnight. The positive is that it's good for the environment, but because there is a lack of fast public charging stations in Ontario, it can be very inconvenient and frustrating," he says.  

Plugging into the positives and the negatives 

The CAA survey, which included over 16,000 EV owners, found that while they appreciate lower operating and maintenance costs compared to gas-powered vehicles, the impact of cold weather on battery range was another roadblock.  

Around 53 per cent of EV drivers prefer to use their gas vehicles for longer trips or winter travel due to concerns about battery range and charging availability. The majority use at-home chargers to manage their daily driving range. 

In northern Ontario, range anxiety is more acute (25.59%) than the rest of Ontario (22.25%). And while more residents in the north are likely to have either level one or level two home chargers, they were also more satisfied (37%) with the cost of fast charging than the rest of Ontario (31%). 

EV owners are not alone in their concerns, the survey says. More than half of Canadians who don't own an EV currently are hesitant to purchase their first EV due to the perceived unreliability of public charging, while another 68% are worried about winter driving range.  

Yet, despite the challenges, the survey found that once an EV driver, almost always an EV driver. Nearly 9 in 10 EV owners plan to buy another EV when it comes time to replace their current vehicle, a trend reflected by the recent jump in new EV registrations across Canada. 

Want to know more? Visit our page about electronic vehicles or explore the world of EV ownership at evbuyersguide.caa.ca.