World Politics

Why B.C. man drives a Tesla but lives in a van

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At the end of his day, Lucas Philips drives to his home overlooking Spanish Banks Beach in Vancouver, near some of the most expensive real estate in Canada.

He climbs out of his black Tesla and soaks up what he calls his “million-dollar view.”

But Philips is no wealthy property owner. His home is a Vanguard campervan berthed in a beachside parking lot.

He spends most of his life on wheels, working as an Uber driver in his leased Tesla. He’s trying to get ahead, and lives in his “sweet motor home” while taking online courses in the hope of getting a job in computer science.

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Philips, who immigrated from Turkey five years ago, thinks himself lucky to share the view with mansion owners without draining his savings.

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He’s a member of a community of Vancouverites living in vans, trailers and other recreational vehicles parked across the city.

Some, like Philips, use it as an economic strategy to cut costs as they plot a course to prosperity.

Others have opted for a nomadic lifestyle, and plan to move on.

But more people are sleeping in vehicles as a last resort, as they try to stave off full-blown homelessness in the notoriously expensive city.

Philips said in an interview in November that he used to pay monthly rent of $1,600 for a one-bedroom suite in North Vancouver. When his rent went up to $2,300, he decided it didn’t make sense.

“The rent prices are just skyrocketing and it’s really feeling not that great when you pay for rent with half of your income,” he said.

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So, he bought a van and started living at Spanish Banks in October. Side benefits to the savings were that it made him feel closer to nature, and he enjoyed the van community’s friendly vibe.

He said he hoped to move back into an apartment this year to better focus on his studies.

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However, others have embraced life on wheels.

Retired Californian mechanical engineer Alex Mosson, 58, was parked last week at Spanish Banks in a beige recreational vehicle he called his “tiny house.”

He offered wine from a rack as he prepared a pot of clam chowder, with bacon and sourdough bread fresh out of the oven.

Newly arrived in Canada, he was joined by girlfriend Massie McCloud,…

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