A BC Hydro survey has found that when planning a vacation, one-third of British Columbians are open to taking a road trip over a flight to reduce their carbon footprint.
The survey found 75 per cent of British Columbians are concerned with the impact air travel can have on the environment. Of those surveyed, one-third said they would take a road trip for their next vacation rather than a vacation that requires a flight to reduce their carbon footprint.
When it comes to the environmental impact of air travel, data shows two passengers on a return flight from Vancouver to Kelowna are responsible for approximately 400 kilograms (kg) of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) – around the same as 170 litres of gasoline, according to BC Hydro. The emissions associated with two passengers on other popular return short-haul flights from Vancouver include:
- Vancouver to Seattle: 260 kg of CO2e
- Vancouver to Kamloops: 360 kg of CO2e
- Vancouver to Cranbrook: 440 kg of CO2e
A recent report from BC Hydro entitled ‘Electric highway: Road trip range anxiety is pumping the brakes on EV adoption in B.C.‘ looked at popular road trips in B.C. and found British Columbians can make those trips in an electric vehicle because they are supported by BC Hydro’s EV fast-charging network.
And with more charging infrastructure being added across the province, new routes to more areas of the province will be possible in the coming years, the agency said.
