Electrifying journey: B.C. man completes EV cross-country drive in less than 5 days
Harvey Soicher wanted to prove it was possible to go on a cross-country trip in an electric vehicle (EV) and last week, he did it in just a matter of days.
Soicher, an electric vehicle enthusiast, took his Audi e-tron from St. John's to Victoria – a journey that included two ferry rides and several time zones – and he did it all in four days, 18 hours and 30 minutes.
"Now there’s no challenge to get across the country," Soicher said. "The charging infrastructure is 10 times better, if not 20. So, I wanted to show that you can make the trip quickly."
He knows first-hand how much has changed because just two years ago, he made a similar trip across Canada, but that time, he was visiting loved ones, sightseeing and wasn’t concerned about how fast he could do it.
This time, he wanted to cross the country in less than five days.
He and his co-pilot, Kent Rathwell, drove virtually non-stop, only taking breaks to charge up.
Rathwell is the CEO of Sun Country Highway. The company helped to "electrify" the Trans-Canada Highway in 2012 by installing some of the first chargers for EVs.
Rathwell says he volunteered to go on this trip with Soicher because of his knowledge of the EV infrastructure landscape, and it provided him an opportunity to check out some of the new chargers that are now on the scene.
"The final barrier was shattered last week where we proved that you could travel across the widest part of our nation, the widest part of North America, in a matter of a few days in a 100 per cent electric vehicle with no tailpipe emissions and almost for free," he explained.
He said RBC customers with a Petro-Canada card can charge at no cost. And while they paid for their charge ups, it only ended up costing the duo about $400.
The trip also set an official record with the Formula Electric Vehicle Entertainment and Racing Association for making the fastest east-west trip of the Trans-Canada Highway by an electric vehicle.
IN MEMORY OF MARY ANN
The trip was dubbed Mary Ann’s Electric Drive 2.0 in honour of Soicher’s late wife who died of cancer in 2018.
Mary Ann and Soicher had made plans to visit Newfoundland together and a year after her passing, he went in her memory.
To continue her legacy, both trips fundraised money for Parkinson’s research and functional neurosurgery, a cause dear to her after suffering a life-threatening ruptured brain aneurysm two decades earlier.
Soicher said she would be proud of him for making these trips in his EV.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
Tips to make a house or apartment safe and accessible for older adults living at home
Here's a summary of tips from the U.S. National Institute on Aging and AARP, which offers a free room-by-room guide with practical suggestions for older adults living independently.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.