The record-setting gas prices have hit the wallets of motorists, and with no signs of falling anytime soon, more and more people are considering or have already made the switch to electric or hybrid vehicles.  

The price of gas in Moose Jaw continues to skyrocket, after breaking the $2/litre mark last week, which is the highest seen dating back to 2008.  

Since the beginning of 2022, the price of gas has gone up roughly 70 cents in Moose Jaw. The lowest average seen this year was back on Jan. 11, with a price of 134.9 cents per litre.   

“We’ve had a lot of interest in the past year, but as soon as gas spiked up to that $2 range,” says Rob Usher, Knight Ford & Lincoln New Car Sales Manager. “This past Saturday [June 4] we had seven or eight car deals where people were trading in their trucks or trying to sell us their trucks and getting into an Escape Hybrid or even asking about the all-electric Ford F-150.”  

Usher adds that once they saw gas continuously spike over the last few months, they were expecting an influx of interest in EV or hybrid vehicles. So much interest even that the dealership has gotten calls from various people from various provinces looking to transition.  

Currently, Knight Ford has a few options of full-electric or hybrid vehicles, with more hitting the market in the years to come. 

“We have seven or eight F-150 all-electric Lightnings for this year that had to be pre-ordered and pre-sold. We have stocked heavily on Escape Hybrids for what Ford offers. The all-electric Mustang MACH E, which is an all-wheel-drive crossover SUV/Car, which is all-electric, with a 350 km charge. The Lincoln Aviator, Corsair, and the Ford Escape are also a plug-hybrid.” 

The Ford Escape Hybrid can travel about 40 km on a charge, and has a fuel economy of 5.4 litres/100 km in the city and 6.3 litres/100 km on the highway. The F-150 lighting can travel about 370 km on one charge. The Mustang Mach E can travel between 339-490 km on a single charge, depending on the battery pack and type of electric motor.  

Ford will begin to produce more and more electric vehicles, as its Oakville, Ont., plant is in the midst of upgrading its facility to produce only battery-operated vehicles in the next five years.  

Right now, Usher notes that their hybrid models have the most interest, as they can transition between electric and gas, compared to an all-electric that relies solely on a battery with a limited driving range and charging stations in the province.  

“Saskatchewan honestly, the hybrid seems to be the way to go, with a lot of people, they’re kind of scared of the all-electric for now. You can’t hop in your all-electric vehicle and drive to Saskatoon and then drive back to Moose Jaw, you wouldn’t make it on the range.” 

Once more infrastructure such as charging stations are built throughout the province, to allow for further traveled distances, Usher believes more and more people will begin to make the switch to an all-electric or hybrid vehicle.  

Also, if gas prices and inflation continue to increase, Usher thinks there may be no other choice than for motorists to make the switch. 

Moose Jaw has a variety of charging stations scattered across the city including Petro Canada (450 N Service Road), CO-OP Connect Charging Station (1592 9th Ave NE), the Tesla Supercharger (1251 Main St N), and many more. 

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