As Albertans look to the future and how our roads and transportation will look, more people are considering electric vehicles as an option. And at AMA, we’re an auto club, which means we have your back no matter what you drive.
That’s why in a recent survey, AMA asked how people in the province feel about EV adoption—and the results show that slightly over one-in-four respondents were “likely” or “extremely likely” to consider a battery-powered electric vehicle (BEV) for their next vehicle.
Albertans in the south of the province appear to have the most interest in EVs—the highest in Calgary, where 30.8% of those surveyed said they were likely to consider a BEV as their next personal vehicle. Lethbridge had the second-highest level of interest, with 29.9% of those surveyed looking to electric as their next driving choice.
Lethbridge also stands out as the area in the province where residents have the most concerns about climate change. More than four-fifths of people surveyed in that region admit they’re moderately or highly concerned about the issue.
Kathleen Sheppard with advocacy group Environment Lethbridge believes the region—known for its gusty winds and large windwheel turbines that dot the surrounding prairies—has strong feelings towards environmental sustainability.
“Lethbridge is maybe a little bit unique in Alberta in that economically, we’re not as connected to oil and gas as some of the other areas of the province,” says Sheppard.
Southern Alberta has also seen an influx of renewable energy projects—the majority of the province’s wind turbines are located south of Calgary, and Natural Resources Canada considers Alberta’s south as having some of the greatest potential for solar power generation in the country.
“It doesn’t entirely surprise me that there’s an interest in those topics and that interest is reflected in things like EVs and looking at solutions that way,” says Sheppard.
EV Life Podcast
AMA is getting Albertans the important facts around electric vehicles in the EV Life Podcast.
Because of that high EV interest in southern Alberta, AMA installed one of our first centre-based charging stations in Lethbridge this fall, along with locations at our Medicine Hat and Edmonton South centres.
We also want to keep the conversation sparking around EVs in southern Alberta—so that’s why AMA’s hosting a Great EV Adventure on Friday, June 9, 2023, at 6 p.m. at our Lethbridge Centre for EV and Hybrid owners. For one night only, the Great EV Adventure will take over the streets, turning Lethbridge into a giant scavenger hunt where every new puzzle gets you one step closer to winning great prizes.