Toronto, Ontario — Statistics Canada publishes its latest round of new EV registration numbers, a news investigation into Tesla prompts a class action lawsuit in California and CAA offers some advice on keeping your battery in working order. This is the latest in electric and autonomous vehicles.
State of the industry
Statistics Canada released its Q1 2023 vehicle registration figures last week, which showed that the total Canadian car parc has grown by 4.7 percent year-over-year, amounting to 355,774 new vehicle registrations.
The majority of that growth was seen among hybrid electric vehicles, which experienced a 54.6 percent increase in registrations since Q1 of 2022, while battery-electric vehicle registrations increased by 20.7 percent.
British Columbia continues to lead the nation as the fastest adopter of EVs, accounting for the largest share of EV registrations at 17.9 percent, followed by Quebec at 14.5 percent.
Statistics Canada also released a new data visualization tool alongside this latest registration check-in.
Battery bombshell
Three Californian Tesla owners are suing the leading EV automaker following the publishing of a Reuters investigation last week, in which Tesla is alleged to have intentionally fudged battery range readings on its vehicles.
This case due before California’s northern district court directly cites the Reuters article, in which it is reported that Tesla created a dedicated “Diversion Team” for obscuring battery range complaints, will attempt to argue that the automaker misled customers regarding the range of their vehicles.
“Had Tesla honestly advertised its electric vehicle ranges, consumers either would not have purchased Tesla model vehicles, or else would have paid substantially less for them,” reads an excerpt from the lawsuit.
For additional context on this class action lawsuit against Tesla, read Reuters’ investigation in full here.
EV endurance
The South Central Ontario division of CAA published a list of tips for keeping your EV battery healthy, even if your vehicle tends to sit idle for long stretches of time.
Even with your vehicle shut down, it can still draw power from its onboard computers and infotainment systems, draining the battery in the process. CAA recommends EV owners use Battery Tender devices, which deliver small currents of electricity to an inactive battery in order to keep it charged.
In terms of what not to do, CAA says to avoid the misconception that idling an EV for 15 minutes will keep the battery healthy. In fact, the association says that idling an EV without actually driving it can cause the vehicle’s exhaust system to rot due to stagnant condensation.
