That cross-country road trip might have to wait.At least that seems to be the sentiment for nearly half of Canadians, according to new data by Toyota Canada. The auto giant surveyed over 2,000 folks from coast to coast and found that 47 percent of those polled will be changing upcoming summer travel plans because of soaring gas prices.While we’re fortunate to live in a big, beautiful country with diverse landscapes, that also means getting between cities and provinces can be really, really far and really, really expensive. “The data we gleaned demonstrates the real-life challenges Canadians are facing as they try to make their summer plans without the costs of getting there taking up the whole budge,” Stephen Beatty, Vice President of Toyota Canada said in a statement. Even families who’ve already gone ahead and booked their vacations are reconsidering their plans. A surprising 27 percent said that climbing fuel prices have them thinking about cancelling an upcoming trip with Ontarians and those in Atlantic Canada most ready to pull the chute.But this increase in fuel cost doesn’t mean our nation is going to completely ditch driving and never experience the Cabot Trail or cruise through Banff National Park again. Instead, people are looking for alternative automotive solutions.The study also found that of those polled, over half are considering buying an electric vehicle in the next five years to combat the increase in gas prices. Yup, that’s one way to stick it to the gas man.“We’re not surprised that 52 percent of Canadians are likely to purchase an electrified vehicle in the next five years,” said Beatty.Still, EV ownership is likely years away for the average Canadian household, and summer 2019 is just around the corner, so what’s one to do? Well, swapping an elaborate driving getaway for something more local is never a bad thing and there are plenty of affordable Canadian cities to explore, too.
