Emissions, anyone? In Massachusetts, transportation accounts for a whopping 43% of our greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles, in combination with renewable, carbon-free electricity generation, can dramatically reduce your greenhouse gas emissions because they have lower lifecycle emissions than gas-powered cars, even after accounting for extra emissions from battery manufacturing. (Buy 100% renewable electricity at a small premium with Green Powered.)
With a renewably-powered EV, the only source of emissions comes from the manufacturing process. If the electricity comes from fossil fuels, driving an EV is obviously not entirely pollution free. Still, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, EVs and plug-ins have a much smaller carbon footprint than conventional cars no matter what the source of the electricity.
There are a lot of great choices on the market right now, from all-electric to hybrids with plug-in options. They’re fun to drive with their great pickup and power. And they’re cheaper to run. According to the Department of Energy, electric vehicles can save as much as $1,200 per year in fuel costs. EVs have fewer moving parts and are therefore much cheaper to maintain: they do not need oil changes, and have no transmission fluids, fuel pumps, timing belts and many other moving parts.
Range anxiety? Fully electric vehicles (EV) are constrained by their battery capacity, but the battery range improves by the year. For example, the new highly-rated Chevrolet Bolt has a range of 259 miles. The Tesla Model 3 has a range of 250-322 miles depending on the option you choose and the network of charging stations keeps expanding, with many apps that help you locate public charging stations and if they are available in real time. There are, for instance, 1,870 Tesla Supercharger Stations in North America (these can’t be used by other makes, though). Most chargers are located conveniently at restaurants or roadside rest stops. Wayland has several public charging stations behind the Town Building (41 Cochituate Road) where you can charge for free (with a ChargePoint card), and at the Stop and Shop at Town Center (40 Boston Post Road). Or enter “charging stations Wayland MA” into Google Maps and you’ll see all the different charging stations in the neighborhood.
There are 1,870 Tesla Supercharger Stations with 16,585 Superchargers in North America. You can use Tesla Destination Charging locations, usually located conveniently at restaurants or roadside rest stops, to not only charge a Tesla but with some other EVs.
You can plug your car into any standard 110-120V outlet, but many EV and plug-in owners install a Level II 240 Volt charger, which speeds up charging time up to 6X faster. Equipment plus installation of these chargers cost in the range of $1,000 to $1,200. This cost is tax deductible. And we can recommend an electrician to install one for you.
Rebates. Qualifying battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles are eligible for a $2,500 rebate. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with an all-electric range of 25 miles or greater are eligible for a $1,500 rebate. Some electric vehicles qualify for federal income tax credits and state rebates. The amounts depend on the battery size of the vehicle, the model, and, of course, your tax liability (check here, and the dealer will advise you as well). Tax credits and rebates are available to car purchasers only.
