Author Archives: lukefrugalev

Recently, the Ontario Energy Board announced a new ultra-low overnight rate option (source). Briefly, the new rate allows for ultra-cheap 2.5 c/kWh overnight (11 pm to 7 am), while charging substantially higher on-peak rates of 25 c/kWh (4 pm-9 pm). We find that with some adjustments, there are some savings to be had with myContinue reading “Should I opt for the new ultra-low overnight Ontario Electricity rate?”

My Buddy does a driving trip every year to visit Family in Nova Scotia, driving from Toronto along the 401, stopping overnight in Quebec City before continuing on the next day. As discussed in a prior post, long road trips like this are not ideal in EVs. But how bad would it be, lets useContinue reading “Can my Leaf make it to Nova Scotia?”

With the warming temperatures, its time to start exploring the wonderful lakes Ontario has to offer. North Bay sits between two: Lake Nipissing a shallow large lake that empties into the Georgian Bay, and Trout Lake, the headwaters of the Mattawa river. There is lots to see and do, there is some fishing in theseContinue reading “North Bay”

Lets look at a few common use scenarios for your family car, drawing from my experience lets compare commuting, errand running, regional, mid and long distance road trips between a gas car, and an EV. As we will see, the EV rules the shorter distance commuting and errand running categories, day-trips, weekend trips are veryContinue reading “EV vs Gas car”

While a charging station is your best bet, not every hotel I have stayed at has one. That leaves the EV driver dependent on outdoor plugs, which might be limited in the total amount of current they can deliver. Ill share some tips from my experiences charging my EV at hotels around Ontario. A littleContinue reading “Hotel power”

Just north of Barrie is a small ski-resort, perfect for beginners. But we still go, even with teenagers in the house, mostly its because of the sno-nuts (mini freshly made doughnuts), a fun filled attitude and a good lunch. What is not to like. Plus its only 130 km from Toronto. Why not stay overnightContinue reading “Snow Valley”

Suppose you live in a condo, and you got an EV or are considering getting one. I love charging my EV at home, and you should too. What are the options for charging? We discuss the simple (just use a wall plug), to the slightly more involved, to the silly expensive. The most sensible solutionContinue reading “EV charging for Condos”

Avid readers of this blog will note that I have a strong personal bias towards the first. E.g. buy a gently used car instead of financing or leasing a new one. But I must admit I get quite tempted by the wonderful new EVs that are starting to enter the market. Charging speeds well inContinue reading “Buy, Finance or Lease”

About 80 km North-East of Toronto, you will find Lake Scugog, and on its shores Port Perry. Its a cute town well worth a visit, offering ample food for both the car and driver. I enjoyed some wonderful cup-cakes as I strolled through the town, learned some of the local history (some of it toContinue reading “Port Perry”

As winter sets in, a youtube video surfaced of people testing out the Tesla Model 3 cabin heat system on a very cold day, getting little if any cabin heat as the car sat there (source). Well, I hopped in my Leaf on a very cold day, and sure enough I had plenty of heat.Continue reading “EV Cabin heat in the Cold”