If you’re a dollars and cents type of person, it’s almost impossible not to make sense of these numbers.
Picture a three-day trip starting in the Fraser Valley and stretching out to the Okanagan. Alongside a family of four, you’ll eventually visit Merritt, Kelowna, Oliver and Princeton.
And what’s the total cost for getting it done without leaving a trace of your environmental footprint? $35.
Renowned angler and Toyota ambassador Rodney Hsu recently took this exact trip alongside his partner and two children seamlessly in his new electric Toyota bZ4X – and had zero worries about gas prices and zero regrets because it’s a Toyota.
“I think the biggest misconception is that the vehicle can’t go very far, which isn’t the case at all,” he says. “I live in Chilliwack, so this allows me to drive to Vancouver and back with plenty of power left. It’s really not an issue.”
An aficionado for B.C.’s best fishing spots, Hsu needs reliable transport to ensure his line is in the water when the fish are biting.
And since hopping behind the wheel last September, he has embraced three game-changing facets of his new whip.
A reliable ride
Hsu admittedly only dipped his toes into the EV world at first, experimenting with trip lengths to the grocery store, then from the Fraser Valley to Metro Vancouver and back before eventually graduating to longer jaunts to Vancouver Island.
His most recent family outing to the Okanagan not only had charging stations in smaller towns such as Princeton or Oliver, but they were always readily available. And it only took 30 minutes to charge.
“My biggest concern was whether the vehicle can be charged when you’re travelling over multiple days, but that really wasn’t an issue,” Hsu says. “This is a super fun car to drive and it’s pretty powerful – we didn’t lose out on any power travelling some of the larger hills on the Coquihalla.”
A new take on vacation planning
Hsu notes that there is a learning curve for those new to the EV market, but it’s not unlike any other vacation planning exercise we’ve all undertaken over the years.
He started by downloading one of many apps available – A Better Route Planner, for example – that list charging station locations, and planned each day accordingly.
“It’s really easy once you learn how to charge when you’re away from home and there are chargers readily available,” Hsu says.
A new bottom line for EVs
Before opting for the bZ4X last fall, the Hsu family relied on a truck to get everything done. He has since saved over $3,000 in fuel costs and hundreds more because he no longer has to worry about oil changes or other maintenance work.
“The two words that come to mind when I think of Toyota are reliability and longevity,” Hsu says. “I’m not a car guy and I’m not really mechanically inclined when it comes to fixing cars, so having a reliable vehicle is really important. This is our fourth Toyota vehicle now and that’s because Toyota just does it.”
To learn more about the bZ4X and other electric vehicles offered at Toyota, visit ShopToyota.ca.
