When I first launched KitchenGardenPlanet almost three years ago, my very first post was all about our decision to upgrade our ride from a Subaru Outback wagon to a hugely more efficient Ford C-Max Hybrid hatchback. Because our li'l cottage in the city back then did not have a garage or otherwise convenient way to charge (we parked on the street), an EV had been sadly out of the question….so this made more sense - and a huge difference in our fuel economy!
Overall, we've been pretty savvy in our lives about cars. My husband never owned a car til coming to the States - didn't even have his driver's license back in Oz being a city fella used to taking public transit everywhere. As for me, I'm 50 as I write this and spent over three decades total on this planet car-free, from my youth and college years to super walkable life on the Hill in Seattle to saying goodbye to the car life as a homeowner in P-Town, where I'd deliberately made sure the house I bought would be near a bus line.
Whether it be bussing, walking, bike commuting, or a combination thereof, the only time I found being car-free to be difficult was in one obvious place: on our farm at the coast which was 8+ miles into town. Yet even then? We were still a one-car family, with our (fairly) trusty Subaru only used for errands, while I worked from home and he biked to work the 17 miles roundtrip (on a two wheeler he added an E-bike conversion kit to following devilishly winter winds that challenged him physically more than anyone should be on a work commute!).
Now that we are in our quiet little life in Northwest Washington, our universe is very different. I retired from my 23+ year career. My husband walks the 30 minutes to work. We're in walking distance to our basic necessities, including those in nature and related to exercise. And so with the $4,000 instant rebate on used EVs 2022 and older (thanks to the Biden/Harris Inflation Reduction Act!), we decided to take advantage and finish electrifying our lives, fully ridding ourselves of the last piece of dependence on fossil fuels - what we drive.
Our 2022 Chevy Bolt 2LT arrives this week, and I'm stoked!
Here's why we chose what we chose and how we're taking advantage of rebates, etc.:
We bought our car online, as we found that EVERY car that we'd inquired about through dealer websites were bait & switch ads. None of the cars were actually in stock, and sites like Cars.com aren't any more reliable than the dealer sites. It's twisted AF. Seriously, at least 10 dealerships gave the same rote "we just sold it 1 hour ago, can I show you another model?" bullshit. And I told them as much.
The $4,000 rebate was discounted at the time of purchase by our retailer, rather than a tax credit that only benefits those in the middle class and wealthier. Not only was this crucial for us due to our simple (read: low) income lifestyle who would not qualify for the full tax credit (they do not let you carry over the unused portion from year to year, like they do with solar and other energy incentives), paying cash upfront was also a huge determinant. In addition, Washington exempts EV purchases from sales tax on the first $16K spent, which saves a nice chunk of change as well. Our new EV will be under $20K, so as far as affordability goes? Better than a new car by far!
We sold our car to a private buyer to maximize what we could get in an EV. While 3 years ago the trade-in offers were way more competitive with the private market, they are definitely NOT anymore, and we made $3K more by posting it on Craigslist and being patient. Because of this, we knew we'd be car-free for at least a few weeks, and planned accordingly. I ultimately canceled a class and another event outside of the city (and nowhere close to bus-range in this small town), and found out where the only rental car place was in town in case something big came up (like having to pick up our annual 40 lbs of sockeye salmon in late September down in Seattle!)...but did forget til the day after we sold the hybrid that the ducks were due for their fall/winter bale of straw - thankfully my husband's coworker with a truck to the rescue!
It was impossible to find an EV with good range at a local dealership, which also pushed me online. Most smaller dealerships were NOT participating in the $2,500 state incentive that would piggyback atop the federal instant rebate. Unfortunately, the state program is poorly run, refusing to allow buyers to purchase from any dealership (or online) and apply for reimbursement like traditional rebate programs. Furthermore, dealerships down in Seattle had no interest in getting us a shuttle down there to pick up a vehicle even if we prepaid. Oh and CarMax, who we got our Subaru from back in the day? They also refuse to participate in the FEDERAL $4K incentive program - so, well...fuck them.
I did a LOT of research into the differences between the higher-range models, namely the newer Chevy Bolts, Kia Niros, Nissan Leafs, and Hyundai Konas. Not just range, but on charge time. A regular wall plug in will take a couple days, a Level 2 charger installed in your garage (or outside your home, they do have those for non-garage folks) will take anywhere from 7-10 hours depending on what make/model you choose, and Level 3 "fast" charging is anywhere from 30-90 minutes - again dependent on your make/model. I read a LOT of owner reviews on Edmunds and Carfax on used models (FYI: most of the video reviews online are bullshit, made by dudes with YouTube channels doing them via test drives - not actual owners. I found exactly two true owner reviews on the models I'd sought out, that was it.). Time and again, the Hyundai Kona and Chevy Bolt EVs were neck and neck. While the Nissan Leaf PLUS models are beloved by many (and I think it's the cutest), their charging technology is on the way out in the US and a $1,000 unapproved adapter was not of interest to us. The Niro had a lot of user complaints on actual mechanical issues, so that was out as well. And with the Bolt, to get heated AND power seats, you have to get the top of the line - so inventory was limited.
I also learned late in the game that the federal $4,000 discount is only applicable for CARS that have never been purchased with an IRA incentive. Meaning, YOUR eligiblity to get the rebate is literally dependent on if the CAR had been purchased by someone ELSE who got the rebate. What the actual fuck, y'all. A very weird rule that nearly every dealer, online and in-person, was skeezy about when asking for a direct explanation of why a particular car was or was not eligible.
I relaxed a TON when I saw online how many EV chargers were between here and my hometown, which was another motivator to get an EV with at least a 250 mile range, so we can drive straight through and then charge wherever we're staying. In addition, I noted where fast chargers were located close to our house, in case there was a rush to get charged up faster. Quite a few, including in the local hospital parking lot down the street. Woo hoo! Amen for living in the PNW.
Researching onsite EV charger options & product/installation incentives saved the day. The $500 "JuiceBox" 240V plug-in charger is made for older houses (so if you have a smaller electrical panel, don't believe the sales pitch that you need to upgrade it!)...and with their low income benefits? We ordered it for $1 through our electric utility. Yes, one dollar. And the income range accepted is more generous than many assume - not just for those under the poverty line, folks. The 240V outlet installation which was quoted at $750? It will be fully reimbursed by the utility thanks to their Empower Mobility program. They were definitely not clear about it on their website - they try to push you to their 'recommended' electricians who are skeezy AF - so it took a call to the utility to get the application form emailed my way. Persistence paid off.
As a side note, there actually is a splitter you can buy if your Washer/Dryer or similar is plugged into an existing 240 outlet, which will charge your EV when the appliance is off...and requires no electrician. But even though our laundry room is perfectly adjacent? Our heat pump combo W/D is so efficient that it works off a standard outlet, so we have no existing 240. But our electrician will have this installed before the EV arrives, so we good :)
Yes, it seems scary to go to EV if you never have before because of range anxiety. But guess what? There are FAR more EV chargers out there, and it's honestly no different than having to make sure you don't run out of gas. And the difference? You have your own fillup station right at home! In 30 minutes you add 100 miles' range, and the more intelligently you drive your EV, with its regenerative braking and other options to increase range (the Bolt has been known to get up to 300 miles on a charge in good weather)? The better you do. There are a lot of myths out there on EVs, from range to affordability and more - check this out to learn more and see why yes, even in a small town or rural area, going EV is not only great for the planet, but smart AF for your wallet.
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