There was sticker shock for drivers in Greater Sudbury this week, as prices hit almost $2 a litre for regular gasoline. Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, said high prices could become secondary to supply challenges. “We’ve crossed a very dangerous point where supplies are very, very limited, and many countries are now looking not at just high prices but shortages, which will mean rationing,” McTeague said. The long-time gas industry analyst said the continuing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz means the cost of fuel will continue to climb. “Despite the federal government dropping 10 cents off the federal excise tax, it’s still not having the desired impact of bringing down prices,” McTeague said. “So, we’re stuck in a vortex, if you will, of ever higher prices where the vortex is expected to go well past the $2 a litre range.” He advises drivers to buckle up for an expensive year, predicting the cost of gas could surpass the all-time record of $2.159 cents a litre set in June 2022, shortly after the Russian/Ukrainian war started. As prices climb higher, drivers are looking for ways to reduce their fuel consumption. Leigha Benford, executive director of the environmental not-for-profit ReThink Green, said the community is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. “It’s not just the car you drive, it’s the food that you eat and how that was produced, the clothes that you’re wearing, it’s the container you’re eating your lunch out of,” Benford said. Fossil fuel connection “Everything that we touch or do during a day typically has some kind of fossil fuel connection.” Reducing travel where possible is one way to cut fuel costs, although Benford said that’s impossible for some families. “I think there’s always the advice (to) stick to the speed limit, make sure your tires are inflated, make sure your car is in good operational order,” she said. Gas prices have some people considering switching to electric or hybrid model vehicles. Sudbury’s Devin Arthur, director of government relations for the EV Society, said they’ve seen a recent uptick in interest in EVs. Interest in Chinese EV technology and the return of the federal incentive rebate is also fuelling interest in EVs. Arthur said long-term savings are worth the upfront investment for EV buyers. “If you factor the total cost of ownership of an EV versus a regular gas car, I believe Clean Energy Canada just came out with some stats where it’s around the $30,000 mark over the life of the vehicle, you could save on electricity and maintenance,” he said. “So, it is significantly cheaper.” Arthur has owned an EV vehicle for eight years and said he sees the most savings in regular maintenance. “When you own a gas car, you’re used to yearly maintenance -- oil changes, all that kind of thing. But with an EV, you don’t need any of that,” he said. “The biggest savings for me have been in maintenance.”
