Betty and Veronica are not rivals in the Burgess household.

Instead, they’re the peppy Chevrolet Bolt and Volt that take Bob and Darwin Burgess wherever they need to go.

Since taking the plunge and purchasing the first Chevrolet Volt in New Brunswick in 2012, you’d be hard pressed to find bigger cheerleaders for owning an EV.

After realizing they had only spent $1000 in gas after five years of driving their Volt, they doubled down their investment and brought their fully electric Bolt home in 2018.

These two enthusiasts take every opportunity to promote the benefits of electric vehicles and charging stations to other drivers as well as to business operators like car rentals, hotels and restaurants. Electric vehicles can play an important role in building a more sustainable energy future for New Brunswick- and passionate owners like Bob and Darwin are helping to lead that charge.

But they’re not alone.

Ellen Horsman, gets stopped a lot while charging up her Nissan Leaf at charging stations. When asked about her EV, her face lights up and her passion shines through as she talks about all the cool features her car offers, and shares her advice for picking the right car.  

After 20 years driving her Saturn, the retired teacher from Moncton needed a new vehicle. That’s when her son came to her rescue with the gift of a fully electric Nissan Leaf.

“I had an interest in getting an electric vehicle (EV) and my son had good things to say about his experience. My environmental conscience told me it would be the right choice,” says Ellen.

She hopes by sharing her experience with others, she will encourage potential buyers to look at the total life cycle costs of EV ownership.

Fully electric cars don’t require oil changes, transmissions or exhaust systems. The average driver can save hundreds of dollars per year just on maintenance. And the fuel savings? The Burgess’ typical daily commute is about 50Km round trip. And it only costs them about $1 per day.

It’s those kinds of savings that drove Maurice Brun to consider making the switch to an EV six years ago to help him manage costs in his retirement. He spent 3 years researching how an electric vehicle (EV) operates and has now been a very happy owner of a Nissan Leaf for 3 years.

“If I had known more about EVs long ago this would have been such an easy decision.”

Maurice would never go back to a gas-powered vehicle because the savings are too good. He says his car needs little service and there is no downside now that charging stations are popping up everywhere.

“I see a bright future for electric vehicles,” says Maurice. Prices are coming down and the driving range keeps going up. They’re quiet, handle well, and are very cheap to operate. What’s not to like?”

Read more from these New Brunswick EV enthusiasts here. 

Are you ready for an EV? You can receive between $2,500 and $5,000 incentive from the federal government.