Gas prices continue to rise across the region, brought on by the crisis in the Middle East. With no end in sight, some Maritimers are thinking of ways to avoid the cost of fuel altogether, as early signs suggest current prices may be what’s fueling an interest in electric vehicles. “It’s still a little bit cheaper than gas, but it’s always quite a bit cheaper. So, that’s always been a driving factor. And when the prices go up so much like they have been the last few weeks, that’s usually just that extra incentive that makes people think about that cost a little bit more,” says Kurt Sampson, executive director for the Electric Vehicle Association of Atlantic Canada. “It’s good to know that more people are realizing, ‘Hey, I have an option to escape from this if I can.’” It’s a switch some Maritimers, like Nicole Blackburn, would consider making. “I think it’s a good idea…I think it would be better if all cars were like that. It’s a little expensive to make the switch over, so I understand that. But I think if you can do it, then it’s probably the best way to go,” she says. Halifax resident Linda Watters says she’d also make the switch. “I would say you’re saving a lot of money, and also for the environment...when I win the lotto, I’m going to buy an electric car,” says Watters. But others don’t plan on driving electric anytime soon, even if that means paying more at the pump. “I don’t think I’m going electric. I would go hybrid if I ever got one again,” says Bob Hayter. “Just don’t (want) to depend on one source of fuel.”
