Electric vehicles popular at auto show, but hard to find in Windsor-Essex, owners say
CBC News | Posted: January 16, 2017 1:35 PM | Last Updated: January 17, 2017
Marilyn Kerester had her electric car shipped all the way from Toronto
The latest in electric vehicles may be on display at the Detroit auto show this week, but according to local owners they're scarce in Windsor-Essex, with one woman having to go all the way to Toronto to get one.
Marilyn Kerester said she knew she wanted an electric vehicle, she just didn't know how hard it would be to find one.
"It's not easy to get these vehicles here at all, they are not plentiful, not all your car lots have them," she said. "I wanted to stick with a Ford ... which was very hard to find."
The Essex resident eventually ended up ordering a Ford C-Max Energi that was shipped all the way from Toronto last May.
As for why they are so hard to find? There just aren't enough of them, according to a local car dealer.
"The demand outweighs the supply. We're very limited in supply, but we should see that opening up in the near future," says John Chisholm, president of Rose City Ford.
Nicole Bojtos said she had a tough time buying an electric car locally as well.
Last May she bought a Nissan Leaf and absolutely loves the car, but finding one to test drive let alone buy, was more difficult than she expected.
"I wasn't able to drive a Leaf in Windsor, the Big Three... I wasn't able to drive any electric vehicles from them and it didn't appear that anybody was too eager to make it happen," said Bojtos.
Frustrated, Bojtos ended up travelling to London to buy her car.
Worth the effort
Kerester said even though electric vehicles are scarce in the area the money she's saved on fuel since switching has been worth it.
She said she's filled her car with gas only 3 times since she bought it and typically charges her vehicle from home where her electricity bill has only gone up $15.
"I bought it mostly because the emission purpose...we try to do everything we can to keep the earth as clean as it can be," she said. "Also we do know fuel is going up in cost so that was another reason."
Kerester believes the fuel-efficient vehicles will catch on.
"You don't see them often enough and I really believe once people start driving them they are going to love them, like I do," she said.