← Everything Electric Podcast
Everything Electric Podcast
Bordering on Insanity? & Why Canada’s Chinese Car Dream Could Be Reality
00:39:15
In this episode, Robert speaks with Glenn Garry, President of the Victoria Electric Vehicle Association in Canada. ️ They explore Canada's current position in the electric vehicle space. With a population of 42 million and over one million EVs...
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- [00:00]
Host 1
Foreign.
- [00:09]
Host 2
Welcome to the Everything Electric podcast. So today's guest is Glengarry from the, from the Victoria Electric Vehicle Association. Victoria Eva. And he will point out very quickly that that is not Victoria in Australia, it's Victoria in Canada. Really interesting dichotomy. The Canadians are in at the moment and we're very aware of this because we do a live event in Canada. You know, it is really difficult. Canada is kind of very reliant on, or not necessarily reliant on, but, but very connected to, to what goes on in the United States of America and it particularly in this space. So in electric vehicles it's really difficult and also the, the really difficult things that the, the orange person has said about Canada and just, just ridiculous ultra reactionary, stupid stuff. I mean it doesn't even bear thinking about. But anyway, you know, we're slightly one removed. We've got a big, we've got the Atlantic Ocean between us and, and the insanity that's going on in the White House in America. Not Americans. American. 90 of Americans are fantastic, lovely people. They're not as mad as their current admin. We really are just barking, aren't they? There's no point trying to pretend otherwise. But anyway, one of the reasons we're very aware of what happens in Canada is because of the Everything Electric show in Canada which is taking place on the 5th, 6th and 7th of September. So not that long. So it's a very enjoyable podcast. Please do. Welcome to the Everything Electric podcast, Glengarry from Eva Victoria. Our three free YouTube channels on EVs and cleantech are funded by our fun packed test drivetastic events in Farnborough, London, the Southwest, the North, Melbourne and Sydney. And next up, we're in Canada for Everything Electric Vancouver and new for UK viewers. You can now buy a battery EV and much more at EverythingElectric store. Now back to the episode. Okay, I'm going to be absolutely transparent about it with our viewers. Glenn, I'm going to thank you, as I always do for your time to make this podcast. I think it's only fair that we explain that we've already done it about half of it and the whole thing collapsed in a heap of animal poo. And we're now back. We're going to try a different method, but thank you seriously for putting up with all this. It's really frustrating. Can you just explain because now you've got your backdrop with the Victoria EV Association. Can you explain one, that you're not Australian.
- [02:52]
Glengarry
I don't know, mate.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Host 2
And then two, where you are. And what, and what, and what the, and what the EV association is doing and its drive and its thing. Because it's really. This is. So I've heard it before, but I'm still excited to hear it again.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
Victoria Electric Vehicle association from Victoria, British Columbia, on the far left coast of Canada, 6,700 km away from the furthest other edge of Canada in St. John's Newfoundland.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
We have about 3,800 members in British Columbia, across North America and a couple other spots around the world. We are, we try to be the most active EV association around. We are, we do things for our members, of course. You know, we do public engagement. We also do government engagement at all three levels in Canada. Municipal, provincial and federal. And yeah, we are with, in this province, 11 other EV associations who are here to help accelerate the change to sustainable energy.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
And as well as the other 28 associations across Canada. Oh, I didn't mention this before, so good thing we did this. Also a member of the global, the Electric Vehicle Association.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
Which everybody who has navy should join because then you can see what's happening in other countries.
- [04:24]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
And we see this in Canada. We see, you know, groups that are in, say, Saskatchewan, they're dealing with issues that we dealt with five or six years ago.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
That's our reality today. And we could say, oh, okay, well, here's how we fix that. Here's how we got around and made things better. So that's what we do. We're pro bono. We, we have one paid employee and she, her whole job is to keep us online technically.
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Host 1
Right?
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Glengarry
Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of people doing this as a labor. Labor of love.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Host 2
And I mean, I mean, I think the important thing that you told me before is really interesting is your advocacy. So you're meeting together to come up with, you know, the best solutions that people who drive EVs that have that, that daily experience of using them. What would be the most useful thing for me to have? You know it. Well, it would be a charger on the way to see my grandmother or whatever. You know, that, that sort of hands on, feet on the ground experience.
- [05:30]
Glengarry
And we do that for, like I say, at all three levels because, you know, the people who are in governance at all three levels, they want to do a good job. Chances are they, they don't know much about electric vehicles or the whole ecosystem that EVs exist in. They may not know how great they are for the environment, for their health, for citizens, pocketbooks, all those issues that politicians care about.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
So we've come in and you know, working at city hall level sort of thing, you know, hey, what are you doing to improve your vehicle emissions? What are you doing to make sure that new build housing has EV charging in it? Because best place to charge is where you live.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
That'll take up more than 90% of all your charging needs going to the provincial level. We, along with 11 other EV associations in this province have the last two provincial elections given a list of 10 EV friendly policies that went out to every political party, every candidate running and then after the election, everybody who got a seat, they got a follow up.
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Host 1
Right, right.
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Glengarry
So if they're standing up in the House of Commons or in the legislature or wherever, then they, they want something that they can propose or perhaps beat the government with. They have something that they know people care about.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
And we've done that now the last federal election as well for the 29 organizations that run across our country. So yeah, we're. Canada is 42 million people. We have about a million EVs on the road now.
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Host 2
Seriously, I didn't realize it was that.
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Glengarry
That's.
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Host 2
I'm very impressed. Wow, that's a lot.
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Glengarry
Yeah, over. Over 200,000 in this province alone.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
So yeah, EV associations, the people in them, they do have a part to play. It shouldn't just be the oil and gas industry and the legacy internal combustion engine world who are in the media trying to clear the pitch of the betterment for people in transportation.
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Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
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Host 2
I mean, I think that's an important thing because in a sense the role you've been talking about there is kind of lobbying politicians and you don't call.
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Glengarry
It lobby, lobbyists get paid.
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Host 2
Oh, that's true.
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Glengarry
We are not paid.
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Host 2
Because I'm just going to say there is a considerable amount of money being spent by the oil and gas industry on lobbying and the influence that they can. Well, the influence and leverage and threats and money that they can use to maintain their position I think has to be, you know, acknowledged. And you know, I, it always frustrates me that people aren't aware of just the sheer scale of activity.
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Glengarry
And, and, yeah, and, and you know, the. I've been told the Chinese character for crisis has also the character of opportunity embedded within it.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
So with, you know, everything is happening south of the border with their current cultural revolution.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Led by the orange one. He, they are taking this. It's a crisis. So they're, they're making hay while the sun shines. They are talking to every politician they can. Oh, we can't meet the EV standards. Oh, woe is us. Well, you've been saying you can for the last five years.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
And now they haven't paid a penny in any penalties yet. But they're. Now they say, oh, we can't possibly do that.
- [09:07]
Host 1
Like.
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Glengarry
Okay, well maybe we should let people in who can.
- [09:12]
Host 2
Yeah, yes, yes, but then. Thanks. So thankfully you had a wonderful election and a man that we're familiar with in the uk, Mark Carney has become the new Prime Minister. And he's, you know, he's, he is who he is, but he's clearly whatever he is, whatever your politics are. He's a very bright gentleman. He's extremely clever. I mean he's so he. You've reminded me, and I did know that, that he was, was either. I don't know what his role was in the bank of Canada before he was head of the bank of England.
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Glengarry
But he was the head of the bank of Canada.
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Host 2
Head of the bank of Canada.
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Glengarry
Top line on his cv.
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Host 2
Right.
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Host 1
Yes.
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Host 2
And then it's a little sub note.
- [09:50]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Host 2
Also head of the bank of England. Whatever. But so he, but then I'm intrigued to know what level of, of uptake of the, of the information you gave the new. I mean presuming there was a new intake of, of representatives in the federal government as well at the same time and that you would have, they would all have had a lovely list from the, from the, from electric vehicle associations in Canada, I'm assuming.
- [10:16]
Glengarry
Yeah, yeah, they, they all acknowledged, or a good many of them acknowledged that they got it. Thank you for your time, blah, blah, blah. Which is all, you know, the boilerplate explanation.
- [10:27]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
But we are kind of seeing that perhaps the EV incentives that had been oversubscribed, which means that they ran out of money prior to the election, may come back, we're not sure in what form and who may be promoted within that and who may be not promoted.
- [10:51]
Host 2
So as in vehicle manufacturers, you mean?
- [10:54]
Glengarry
In that sense. Yeah, I think we'd also started talking about, you know, the UK used to have a thriving car manufacturing days and then it became branch plant operation for the likes of BMW and the rest and yeah, Nissan and yeah, same thing in Canada. We haven't had a fully Canadian car maker since 1918.
- [11:20]
Host 2
Yeah, that's because can you, do you know, can you remember the name of the Canadian company that stopped.
- [11:30]
Glengarry
McLaughlin or something like that?
- [11:33]
Host 2
So they were, they were, they were a sort of indigenous Canadian car making company that made cars that weren't American.
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Glengarry
Back There it's kind of like China is now. There were hundreds.
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Host 2
Yes.
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Glengarry
Who used to make carriages, who, you know, got an internal combustion engine, threw it in and said, there you go, there's a car, There's a car. So. But the American industry started consolidating rapidly. So, you know, there's nothing new on the face of the world. It's repeating history. But they came north and because our auto manufacturers are kind of like a long, you know, one would drive across the river from each other between Detroit and Windsor, they bought up a lot of places in Canada and they started making cars and that. That went on through, you know, World War II. And then after World War II, we signed something with the US called the Auto Pact, and that was free trade of all automotive parts going back and forth. And, you know, some manufacturers in Canada specialized in some things and you know, a vehicle, the vehicle parts may cross the border five, six, seven, eight times before.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Finally, you know, assembled vehicle. A lot of the pony cars through the 60s, 70s and 80s were all built in Canada or a lot. Many of them were built in Canada and, you know, they shipped south and.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
And. And then they gave us the. The pickup truck scourge.
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Host 2
Yes.
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Glengarry
There's a whole lot. That's another.
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Host 2
That's a whole other thing, isn't it?
- [13:19]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
But anyway, so we're heavily integrated with them, the big three, the big 2.1. Because Chrysler Dodge is now just a fig leaf on top of Stellantis. Yeah. So, yeah, we're heavily integrated with them. When the Biden government recognized that the United States was falling so far behind in clean tech and electric vehicles, they came out with strong industrial policy through a lot of money, like $350 billion towards all that, which would have moved about another, you know, would have been well over a trillion dollars in private money.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
To try and have them, you know, at least keep pace. If not, well, probably wouldn't catch up. At least keep pace with the vehicles that China built.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
And. But they did something to please particular part of their support base. And they put up 100 tariff on Chinese vehicle.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
Canada, because we were so heavily integrated with them in the auto industry, waited three months, did a consultation. But in the consultation, consultation request, you knew what the answer.
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Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
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Glengarry
And then surprisingly or not, we ended up with 100% tariff on Chinese as well. Yeah. So. And then things changed south of the border. New administration came in. Up was down and left was right. And now Canada is really in a bad shape because the US is trying to Force all their automakers who make things in Mexico and Canada, which was under the awesome us Mexico, Canada, usmc. The best trade deal ever. Because Donald Trump negotiated it.
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Host 1
Yes.
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Glengarry
Now the worst trade deal ever. So unfair.
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Host 2
Yes, yes.
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Glengarry
Anyway, they're trying to get all those companies who are making Mexico and Canada to make in the US and he, he said we don't want anything from Canada.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
So our, our auto industry, they're hoping this is just a bad dream.
- [15:33]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
But they don't have. Not giving us a lot of options.
- [15:39]
Host 2
Really difficult, really difficult position to be in. Well, also, I mean if, if I was a Canadian and I knew all that and then I walked past a Tesla showroom, a vehicle made in, you know, an amazing electric vehicle. You know, regardless of everything else that has gone on with that company, the cars themselves, the infrastructure around it, the software, the batteries, the battery management system, just exemplary. But I wouldn't want to buy one because it's American and I can't. You know, I've been screwed. That's just, I don't know. I mean, have, have sales been affected? I think, I mean they have everywhere else. I would imagine they have in Canada.
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Glengarry
Yeah, they have.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
As soon as you. It's not necessarily because of, they're American. It's because their CEO.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Lost his mind somewhere and started saying things that no one could, could get behind.
- [16:40]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
So yeah, their, their sales have been affected, but you know, they were a huge part. I mean, you know, five years ago they were 90% of the cars, EVs being sold in Canada.
- [16:51]
Host 1
Right.
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Host 2
Yeah.
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Glengarry
It got kind of wintered down to the 70ish.
- [16:55]
Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
Because the North American manufacturers were talking lots, producing little and what they did produce, they didn't support very well. They didn't put any money into direct current, fast charging networks.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Tesla built their networks across Canada and across the US on their own hook. You know, they're like, how come this little company can do this and you big guys can't? Yeah, because we don't want to. Oh wait, sorry, was the mic on?
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Host 1
Yes.
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Host 2
Anyway, you're right.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
So yeah, it is hurt. And of course, you know, again, those, the forces of, of, of regression have used that. The fact that like last year we in BC, our, our electric vehicle standard was to have 26% of vehicle sales by 2026.
- [17:51]
Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
And five years ago was supposed to be 10 by 2025, but by 2024 we were already at 24. So they updated.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Right. So 2024, we're at 24% all this stuff happens in the U.S. yeah. Mr. Musk goes crazy. And now we're not seeing anywhere near that. So now the horses of aggression are saying, see, we can't make the numbers.
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Host 1
Yes. Oh, yeah.
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Glengarry
So, yeah, we need. We need a supply from. From elsewhere, obviously.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
And if. And this is. We were talking about how people feel about it, people who own evs, they. They get it. They want to see, you know, no holds barred, great evs for less money.
- [18:47]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
In the market.
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Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
And I won't say they don't care, but they understand that we're going to continue to limp along way, way astern of the rest of the world.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
You know, because of the politics.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
It's not the economics. It's not the technology.
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Host 1
No.
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Glengarry
It's the bloody economics.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Host 2
I mean, it's a thing I've been saying a while here and in Europe, you know, that the problem, the resistance now, or the challenge of electric vehicles, is entirely psychological, not technological. But in North America, it is psychological and political. You know, it is. Actually. You're fighting two resistances there, which is very tough.
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Glengarry
And China loves this.
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Host 2
Yeah, of course.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
The analogy I like using is that the North American auto industry is kind of like a wagon train heading across the bald prairie. They're all together and then, oh, my gosh, you know, there's the natives on their horses. They're coming in from the north. Let's circle the wagons. Oh, look, we're safer in here. But you're also not progressing.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
You're not going anywhere.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
And with 100% tariffs, North America could become just a very large Cuba. You know, all these great old cars sitting on the road.
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Host 2
But what is so unfair about it talking to you is, you know, and I. And my. And now the. My affection for Canada has only increased with it, with more visits, is that you're sucked into that. And no one in Canada wants to be sucked into that. But yet how you. How you can not be sucked into that. That's what's really. I've thought about this a lot before I spoke to you. How on earth would you, you know, just to put it very crudely, can you say to America, screw you, we're going to do what we want and we don't care what the consequences are. Well, the consequences are pretty chunky and pretty big.
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Glengarry
Well, I'd say we're only going in one direction. If we can continue to. What's the word I want to use that. It's not the word I don't Want to use to. To cooperate with difficult people.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Because, you know, as soon as you agree, it's like Billy Connolly union negotiating tactics.
- [21:13]
Host 1
Right.
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Glengarry
That's. That's more of that. A lot more of that. None of that. And pay attention because tomorrow they'll all change.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
That's what we're dealing with.
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Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
So I think it. I think we need to use our sovereignty while we still have it.
- [21:28]
Host 1
Yes.
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Glengarry
They. Yeah. We are going to open our market to European vehicles and Chinese vehicles. You know, they all have to do all the same safety stuff and.
- [21:40]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Likes to say, oh, it can't be the safety standards. No, they probably are better. But you know, okay, whatever. Yeah, let's, you know, they meet our standards, we'll go, go through that, bring them in. We've suggested that British Columbia be the, the test market.
- [21:58]
Host 1
Yes.
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Glengarry
Federal government let. Bring in Chinese cars for now.
- [22:02]
Host 2
See what happens.
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Glengarry
See how that works and you know, see if, see if the people really want them or they want to wait around for substandard North American offerings.
- [22:13]
Host 1
Right. Yeah.
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Glengarry
And, you know, why don't we bring in some more of the European ones that work?
- [22:19]
Host 2
Well, that's the other thing.
- [22:20]
Host 1
Yes.
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Host 2
I mean, because to the same. What are the tariffs on? For instance, if you could get a Renault 5 into America, what would there be very high tariffs on? I've lost because these tariffs, I can't even tell if they're real anyway, but they're all over the place. It's very hard to follow it.
- [22:37]
Glengarry
I knew this at one time. I'm going to say less than 10%. Chinese tariffs prior to our 100% were 6.7.
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Host 2
Wow.
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Host 1
But.
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Glengarry
We'Ve had BYD buses come here.
- [22:52]
Host 2
Yes, but so. But you've had them.
- [22:54]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Glengarry
And. But BYD itself hadn't considered us a market to, you know, to go into because really, our entire population is smaller than some of their cities.
- [23:08]
Host 1
Yes.
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Glengarry
And it's a big country to cover.
- [23:12]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [23:14]
Glengarry
That didn't stop Vinfast from coming here. But, you know, whatever.
- [23:17]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [23:19]
Glengarry
But yeah, no, it's. I think we should look at that. But I mean, Canada has its own issues with China. Political. You know, we. And again, it was helping the Americans apprehend somebody on their, Their watch list caused two Canadians to spend a few years in prison.
- [23:41]
Host 1
Wow.
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Glengarry
Definitely shortening their lives. And then started this chill. And then we brought on the 100% tariffs to ameliorate the. Or to cooperate with the US and then a lot of, you know, agricultural products we used to sell to China Rapeseed and stuff. That all went out the window too. And I'm like, so, you know what? How is this wonderful relationship continuing to benefit us?
- [24:10]
Host 1
Yeah.
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Glengarry
Anyway, so a lot of stuff has to be sorted out and EVs might be the, the path to maybe help that happen.
- [24:20]
Host 2
Yeah, I mean, it's just, it's so interesting because you're. It is so profoundly political. I mean, all the issues you're having to deal with. You know, when, if I think of here, the arguments I hear here is people go, I've heard the batteries don't last that long. And you go, well, oh, God, you know, it's frustrating, but it's quite an easy thing to deal with. But we're not physically attached to the usa. No, we, we can't drive into Colorado. We got, you know, that's just. It's a very big pond. Apparently we're quite near Europe and the European Union. I don't remember what that means, but you know, why.
- [24:56]
Glengarry
And I say you too, away from being actual Europe, let that slide.
- [25:02]
Host 2
Yes, that. You're absolutely right. We may be able to walk there soon. Yeah, but the, but that, But I. How. I mean, I just, I am baffled as to how you can deal with that. I mean, I think I've. I admire your stoicism in a sense that, you know, you're just going this, well, we'll get through it somehow, which I think you will. I mean, I think. And also I think what I do think is it really important and really interesting. And I've just been in Europe recently. I've just driven across France and Italy, spoke to a lot of French people. I know Canada has appeared on the international map in a big way. We're suddenly, you know, I mean, I think there's been plenty of time where we change. Just been. We are deluged with culture from America, particularly in the uk. So we kind of get. It gets lost. And then every now and then you go, oh, hang on. This long list of movie stars that we all assume are American are all Canadian. This long list of rock stars. Oh, they're all Canadian.
- [25:57]
Host 1
Oh, hang on.
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Host 2
But the French talked about, you know, the fact that we are getting closer relationships with Canada in particular is a reaction to. To that. Which is why, in a way, I would love it if there was suddenly lots of Renault and Citroen and BMW and Volkswagen dealerships and electric vehicles. I've got to tell you, there's. We know we can't say anything about it. We've had to sign an NDA we've got no pictures. There's some extraordinary BMWs will appear later this year. I mean truly next generation.
- [26:31]
Glengarry
We're looking forward to seeing the new class come here.
- [26:34]
Host 2
Yes. Yeah.
- [26:35]
Glengarry
But BMW is among the legacy car makers who are lobbying against having to meet the EV standards. They want to have the plug in hybrids.
- [26:50]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [26:50]
Glengarry
And even just the regular hybrids count towards their, their requirements. And this is typical countries do different things for meet the local political, you know, I get all that. Australia, great example.
- [27:07]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [27:08]
Glengarry
But yeah, so that is where our, our current government is, you know, hearing all the deluge of fear, uncertainty and doubt.
- [27:21]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [27:22]
Glengarry
And the media, they now think, oh, maybe we have to re examine our, our standards. And the standards were built with off ramps and all sorts of things negotiated in to allow the makers to, you know, bank credits, get credits from other people, whatever. And it's not until 2029 that they may even pay a fine. Oh my gosh. Pay a fine.
- [27:47]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [27:48]
Glengarry
But it doesn't stop their, their mouthpiece organizations from, you know, crying from the top of the steeple. Oh my gosh, if we don't sell enough EVs, we'll have a $20,000, $20,000 tax on every ice vehicle.
- [28:09]
Host 1
Right. Yeah, no.
- [28:12]
Glengarry
So they're, they're allowed to lie through their teeth.
- [28:14]
Host 2
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, they do pay, they do pay their lobbyists.
- [28:18]
Host 1
I think that's the.
- [28:19]
Glengarry
Yes, yes, yeah.
- [28:24]
Host 2
That'S the other thing. We've got, we've got nine minutes left, but that's good. So. But that, Yeah, I mean that's happened here as well where we've, where the, the lobbying was very effective in pushing the UK government. You know, we had the 2030 ban on the sale of new, new combustion vehicles and that's been watered down. So it's now plug in hybrids and the whole, you know, I, I now call them, I just call them petrol hybrids. I think that's the, you know, gasoline hybrids is, that's what they are. You know, they still, they've got combustion engines in.
- [28:57]
Glengarry
International Council on Clean Transportation just finished their study. Your plug in hybrid saves on average 27% of the emissions that a pure gas car does. Right, sorry, petrol.
- [29:12]
Host 1
Petrol, yes.
- [29:14]
Host 2
So it's fractionally better.
- [29:16]
Host 1
Yeah. Yeah.
- [29:17]
Glengarry
And hydrogen cars are maybe 5% better.
- [29:22]
Host 1
Right? Yes.
- [29:23]
Host 2
You know, well, we've all seen dozens of those hydrogen cars. I was in a queue of them the other day. There's so many around.
- [29:28]
Glengarry
Yeah, it was a junkyard.
- [29:30]
Host 1
Right, yeah, yeah.
- [29:34]
Glengarry
There's literally Now, I think 1000 BEVs on the planet for every hydrogen car that's been built.
- [29:41]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
- [29:41]
Host 2
It's crazy. There's no argument the fact that that's still sometimes discussed. I had a, I had a comment the other day. I saw a comment on our YouTube channel the other day. It just said the. All these battery cars are all well and good, but personally I'm waiting for hydrogen. But what's great now is there was a time when I might have responded to that. There were thousands of comments. Well, you'll be waiting a long time, sunshine. You know, good luck with that.
- [30:08]
Glengarry
But we could have a movie about that. Waiting for hydrogen.
- [30:11]
Host 2
Yes, that's a good idea, actually. We should do that.
- [30:14]
Glengarry
Yeah, but just have the character getting older and older.
- [30:18]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
- [30:19]
Host 2
I mean, it is, it is sad, I think, that, that, you know, that there was a time when there was definitely a role for hybrids. I mean, that's how I got into the whole thing. I went from a ridiculous, you know, souped up Golf with a big engine, VW Golf to a Prius. And even, even the dealer at the Toyota dealership asked as I was trading in one for the other, he said, are you sure you want to do this? Because the other car had big exhaust and went, you know, did all that stuff. But the journey, it was a 40 mile journey to that dealers from my house and I was doing about 15 miles to the gallon in the Gulf. It was ridiculously inefficient machine. It was rather fabulous, I have to say. And then on the way back, because I drove in my. In my stockinged feet, no shoes on, I did 72 miles the gallon. And that was a kind of. That was a big jump in that, in technological terms to that. And the kind of slow growth of the Prius was fascinating to witness and it became very popular. But then that was in the 1990s. I mean, we've changed. Stuff's moved on.
- [31:29]
Glengarry
Well, even if you took a 2015 Toyota Mirai hydrogen car. Yeah, 2015 Toyota Prius because the hydrogen car is being run from steam. Methane. Reformation of natural. Sorry, of methane.
- [31:45]
Host 2
Not natural, not natural gas. Methane gas.
- [31:47]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [31:48]
Glengarry
They are neck and neck for emissions.
- [31:50]
Host 2
Wow.
- [31:51]
Host 1
Wow.
- [31:52]
Host 2
That's incredible.
- [31:53]
Glengarry
Big improvement. Yeah, yeah. And it was twice the price of the hydrogen, was twice the price of the Prius.
- [32:00]
Host 2
And also, I mean, the actual cost of buying a Mirai was staggering. I mean, I don't know what it. I don't know what it was. Very, very expensive.
- [32:08]
Glengarry
It was 72,000 here, right?
- [32:10]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [32:11]
Host 2
So not a cheap car. But anyway, that's But I mean that's, that's the thing is that, that it feels like the legislation is behind the technical reality. Again, it's psychology and politics are, are behind the technology. I mean that's, you know, in British.
- [32:27]
Glengarry
Columbia here, our previous ministers in the ministry that's responsible for this and the previous bureaucrats, they took the attitude that they wanted to lead. So the regulations came in, they were progressive, they led, they said, hey, here's, here's the on ramps for EVs, here's the off ramps for petrol and diesel. You've got lots of time, work it out. Yeah, yeah. They. And really world leading sort of legislation.
- [33:05]
Host 1
Right.
- [33:07]
Glengarry
And we're now encouraging them to not back off. Don't let these, don't let the kids at the bottom of the class who are failing drag the class average down.
- [33:18]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [33:19]
Glengarry
You know, keep your standards, move ahead. If they can't make it, they will pay and they will pay penalties.
- [33:25]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [33:26]
Glengarry
And we'll bring in other companies who can help.
- [33:30]
Host 2
And I mean is your, is your general feeling from the kind of general population have a fairly positive attitude to electric vehicles? I mean is that, or is there, do you still. Because I, I mean I feel it's changed here really quite dramatically.
- [33:46]
Glengarry
Well, yeah, I mean, you know, like I say, there are 200,000 EVs, over 200,000 EVs in the province. So let's say, you know, average family is 3, 3.5. So about 700000 people living this all the time and they have friends and neighbors.
- [34:03]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
- [34:04]
Glengarry
My, the neighborhood I live in wasn't here 12 years ago. I was. Mine was the first EV on the road.
- [34:14]
Host 1
Right.
- [34:15]
Glengarry
There's probably 20 or 30 in just within 100 yards of me right now.
- [34:20]
Host 1
Right.
- [34:22]
Glengarry
We are the first solar. There's now a dozen more.
- [34:25]
Host 1
Right. Yeah.
- [34:26]
Glengarry
On our, on our place. So no people. We saw this with a. Getting a television.
- [34:33]
Host 1
Yes.
- [34:34]
Glengarry
Getting a color television. Yes. Someone who is like you does those things and has a positive reaction to it.
- [34:40]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [34:41]
Glengarry
Then you're more likely to say, okay, I can, I can see me in, in, in that.
- [34:46]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
- [34:48]
Host 2
No, it's very similar experience here. And actually interestingly in Australia that there probably would have been. There certainly has been. And there is to a certain extent a massive resistance to anything that isn't a man's car. There's some Australian men that are a little bit reliant on their combustion engines to fulfill their full masculinity or whatever, but solar just wipes the floor with any political Resistance. There's the most, your most right wing, reactionary, sort of proto Trump person will have solar panels on their roof because it makes, because electricity is expensive in the middle of the day. And what happens when you put solar panels? You don't pay for it, you know, for your air conditioning. Their environment suits, solar 100%. Their maximum solar is at the time when they have their maximum need for air conditioning. And that is really interesting to see how that crosses all political divides there.
- [35:44]
Glengarry
Well, even here in Victoria, which some people think is really rainy, we still have 1100 hours a year.
- [35:50]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [35:51]
Glengarry
Where we produce electricity. So my house is, is all electric. I have an EV and I make 90% of, of the electricity I use each year.
- [36:03]
Host 1
Right.
- [36:04]
Glengarry
From my solar panels on my roof. Now I'm net metering. So when I, when I make an excess, it's six months in the year, the excess goes to BC Hydro.
- [36:13]
Host 1
Right.
- [36:14]
Glengarry
Hold it for me. When I need it in the winter, I get it back. There's no exchange of money or anything, just one for one.
- [36:20]
Host 1
Right. Right. Wow.
- [36:21]
Host 2
Oh wow. That is brilliant. BC Hydro. I don't want to be too sycophantic, but BC Hydro, pretty amazing.
- [36:30]
Glengarry
They're getting some challenges too, I'm sure.
- [36:32]
Host 1
Yeah, yeah.
- [36:33]
Glengarry
There's other, other places in North America where oh, oh, you have solar and you're not buying as much from us so we're going to charge you more or we got to make it fair for everyone and yeah. So there's, there's some stuff burbling along background about that about, you know, you make, you make your solar in the summer. They're going to devalue that.
- [36:54]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [36:55]
Glengarry
So, and we've, we've, we're talking to the B.C. utility Commission saying we've got a good thing here. You need more energy. Do not prune it by having bad policy.
- [37:06]
Host 1
Yeah.
- [37:07]
Host 2
Glenn, this has been. Look, you've got to do this again. No, I mean I'm not, I'm hoping you can get to the, the show in Vancouver in a few weeks time.
- [37:17]
Glengarry
I'll be there on Saturday. Great stuff because you guys have Tell the World now and worldwide announcement.
- [37:24]
Host 1
Yes.
- [37:25]
Glengarry
At Everything Electric Vancouver. There's the Ask an owner booth.
- [37:30]
Host 2
Yes. Great stuff.
- [37:33]
Glengarry
So you will be able to go and stand in front of somebody who's not trying to sell you a car, isn't from corporate, he's another owner who can tell you all the dirty ins and outs. It'll still be very, very positive. But yeah, that's, that's what we're going to be there for.
- [37:49]
Host 2
It'll be real. Thank you so much. We're going to get cut off any second, but that's fantastic then. Thank you so much for persevering.
- [37:56]
Host 1
Thank you.
- [37:56]
Glengarry
Yeah, yeah.
- [37:57]
Host 2
I really hope you enjoyed that. It was a struggle, admittedly, and a little bit shorter than I would have liked, but we covered the main topics I wanted to cover. It's really. If you're in the British Columbia area, please do go along to Everything Electric live in Vancouver in September. It's going to be an amazing show that we do have the most incredible stuff on display there. Lots and lots of vehicle test drives we've done. I don't know if you know, I'm just going to mention it in passing. We've done now over 120,000 electric vehicle test drives around the world. That is something I think we can have a very small rosette for that achievement. It is an extraordinary thing, but that's it. Please do subscribe to the Everything Electric show in its many forms. If you would like to. That would be wonderful. Please do subscribe to this Everything electric channel on YouTube. But also if you download these as audio podcasts, which is the majority of people who listen to this very sensibly, please do subscribe to it on the podcast downloading application of your choice. And that's it. As always, if you have been, thank you for watching and listening.