The Cabot Trail on Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island spans a stunning 300 km – not an insurmountable distance by modern electric vehicle (EV) standards, but then that doesn’t take into account the elevation changes encountered along the way.
Just like gas-powered vehicles, electric ones use more energy when they’re working hard – and some of the hill climbs here certainly require a little extra effort. Cape Smokey alone rises 366 metres (1,200 feet). North Mountain is next at some 467 metres (1,532 feet), followed by the MacKenzie and French mountains that stand 335 metres (1,099 feet) and 355 metres (1,165 feet), respectively.
Driving counter-clockwise is arguably the more scenic way to go, with outstanding ocean views as far as the eye can see. Either way, there’s no getting around those range-sapping ascents. And so it was with more than a degree of trepidation that I approached my mission to make it around the entire trail on a single charge.
Getting Acquainted
Easing my anxiety at least a little was my chariot of choice for this east coast adventure: the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV. Even with all-wheel drive this crossover has an estimated range of 449 km, according to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) – more than enough to tackle the Cabot Trail, or at least in theory.
In fairness, I also had something of a sneak preview of what the Blazer EV was capable of after making the drive from Halifax just a few days earlier. The familiarization period provided more than a few glimpses at this EV’s excellence, as well as the ways in which it comes up a little short.
For starters, the Google-based infotainment interface doesn’t include Apple CarPlay connectivity, which seems like an easy way to alienate the almost two thirds of the Canadian population that owns iPhones. OK, Tesla doesn’t offer smartphone mirroring of any kind and its owners seem to be getting on just fine; but that doesn’t change the fact that Chevy has for years offered both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the decision to ditch them in favour of this new system seems shortsighted.
For someone like me, it means losing fingertip access to my Apple Podcasts and Music libraries, since neither app is available for download through the infotainment system’s app store. That’s a major disappointment during any drive, let alone hours-long ones like this. On the other hand, the Google Maps integration means the computer can provide shockingly accurate real-time range estimates and plot charging stations along a designated route.
Electrification Isolation
On that note, for all the amenities along the Cabot Trail – officially known as Nova Scotia Trunk 30, before hooking up with Highway 105 near Baddeck, N.S. – there’s a serious lack of EV charging infrastructure. In fact, there was just one DC fast-charger along the route at the time of this trip, with a 50-kW station in Baddeck the only hope of adding electrons in a hurry. Otherwise, publicly available options consist of a handful of Level 2 chargers scattered here and there.
The same is true of the drive from Halifax to Cape Breton, with just a few fast-charging stations along the way. At one such stop in North Sydney, N.S. – which, for what it’s worth, is the only charger of its kind in the entire Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) – I found myself in a three-way race for the lone 50-kW hookup.
Making matters worse was the state of the Tesla-branded chargers throughout Cape Breton Highlands National Park. That every one of them was plagued by problems during this summertime trip only added to my anxiety after arriving in Ingonish, N.S., with the area’s Level 2 stations crucial to my plans. But more than a half dozen different connections saw the same error message appear after barely a trickle of electrons made it into the Blazer EV’s battery.
Blazing the Trail
It was against that backdrop that I plotted a nerve-wracking drive around what’s otherwise among the most beautiful routes in this part of the country. Winding pavement both weathered and broken carves along the jagged coastline before extending inland through vast swaths of forested land. Meanwhile, the island’s western coast near Chéticamp, N.S., is defined by its colourfully painted homes and harsh suêtes – powerful winds so named by the area’s Acadian ancestors for their south-easterly origins.
Setting out, I took heed of a warning in the owner’s manual that suggested the Blazer EV’s 85-kWh battery be charged to no more than 80 per cent when driving down “long, steep grades such as mountain passes,” although doing so added an extra dose of stress to the proceedings. At a 79 per cent state of charge, the indicated range stood at 367 km – far too close to the actual distance of one full lap of the Cabot Trail for any kind of comfort.
The drive up and around the top half of the trail did little to ease the angst, chewing through exactly 20 per cent of the battery over the course of 110 km to Chéticamp. I reminded myself of the backdoor plan to plug into the 50-kW charger in Baddeck if my roundtrip prospects were looking grim, which would mean failing my mission but averting a battery-based disaster.
While the Blazer EV’s energy consumption rate was better than expected, finishing the full 300-km trip at 17.2 kWh/100 km, and the regenerative braking was able to top up the battery here and there – the trip down French Mountain alone added about 25 km of effective range – the warning in the owner’s manual looked especially cautious (and perhaps unnecessary) with each passing descent.
The Backdoor Plan
Then again, I wasn’t able to charge beyond what I managed to muster from a 120-volt outlet in the first place. And so the next 100 km were fraught with anxiety and overthinking as I cut down the coast and inland again. I knew by this point the Blazer EV would comfortably make it to Ingonish without any issues, but then I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got there. With the Level 2 chargers in and around the national park failing to function properly, I knew I’d have to turn around and head back to Baddeck to plug in.
By this point, my thoughts were awash with worry. What if that fast-charger was broken? What if the range estimate wasn’t accurate after all? Could I make it all the way to North Sydney if I had to?
To put my mind at ease – or at least confirm my fears – I pulled into Baddeck to check the status of the charging station. The sight of an all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning drawing electrons was both reassuring and unnerving all at once. Together with an estimated range of less than 10 per cent on the return from Ingonish (another benefit of the Blazer EV’s Google Maps integration is its ability to predict battery life both ways on a prescribed journey), the situation was enough for me to chicken out and plug in. Call it playing it safe – I say it was self-preservation.
Final Thoughts
There’s no question the Blazer EV would have made it all the way around the trail without recharging the battery, but then the concerning state of the EV infrastructure in this country made this particular trip a close call I had no interest in answering. It’s not as if I’m the type to plug in like I’m panic-buying toilet paper during a pandemic, either, but getting stranded somewhere between Cape Smokey and North Sydney with a dead battery because of a bunch of broken chargers wasn’t an appealing option.
Aside from the range-induced stress that lingered somewhere just beyond the top of my mind during most of the drive, it didn’t take long before the Blazer EV’s emissions-free powertrain turned into an afterthought. OK, it’s impossible to ignore the way the regenerative braking works, not to mention the smooth and quiet serenity that comes with electric propulsion. But as far as electrification with a conventional feel is concerned, this Chevy excels.
That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, and at a starting price of about $60,000 before any applicable rebates it isn’t going to solve the EV affordability issue in Canada, but the Blazer EV is a brilliant second act for this brand’s emissions-free effort. Alas, this part of the country may not be ready for electrification – at least in terms of charging – but it’s reassuring to know electrification is ready for all that Cape Breton has to offer. At least in theory.
