The Energy Consumer's Bulletin- a New England energy news blog

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Larry Chretien & Anna Vanderspek

What’s up with federal and state incentives for electric cars?

We believe electric cars are great. They reduce emissions by about 75-80% compared to gasoline cars. And they cost less to run because it’s cheaper to run on electricity than petroleum and they require less maintenance. But for the time being, without governmental incentives, the cost of the battery generally makes electric vehicles (EVs) cost a bit more upfront. So federal tax credits and state rebates are important for the next few years until battery costs come down a bit more. If you’re in the market for a new car and considering an EV (as you should!), here’s news you can use.

Larry Chretien & Anna Vanderspek

Electric cars are getting easier to charge

The question “but where will I charge?” is one of the biggest sources of apprehension among potential electric vehicle (EV) owners. We at Mass Energy and People’s Power & Light think it doesn’t need to be. After reading this blog post, we really hope that you’ll come to agree that:

  • For most of us, charging our electric car at home can be very easy.

  • Today, there are already a lot of places to charge away from home – probably a lot more than most people think. And they’re easy to find.

  • More public charging stations are being built every day and there are lots more coming in the next 3-5 years.

  • You won’t need to charge as often as you think. Today’s all-electrics have such large ranges that you likely won’t need to charge every night, and even the plug-in hybrids available today have ranges that exceed what most of us drive in a day.

Larry Chretien & Anna Vanderspek

Federal Tax Credit in Jeopardy

As you may have heard, the existing federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for electric vehicles (EVs) would be repealed under the tax legislation filed in the U.S. House of Representatives with support from the White House last week. If the tax bill is passed in its current form, the EV tax credit would be available for 2017 purchases but not for 2018 and beyond. We strongly oppose the repeal of the EV tax credit. If you are concerned too, please contact your US Representative and express your feelings. But honestly, we know that the Massachusetts and Rhode Island delegations will be opposed to the tax bill for several reasons.

Larry Chretien & Anna Vanderspek