Larry Chretien is the Executive Director for Mass Energy Consumers Alliance and People’s Power & Light. This blog is the second in a series about the Chretien family’s experience purchasing an electric car. You can read the entire series in our e-book, available for free download. 

You may have read that I’m in the market for a plug-in vehicle.  Currently, my wife and I own a 2002 Toyota Prius and a 2008 Prius.  We love those cars but want to take advantage of advancements in plug-in technology, as well as the federal tax credits that provide a nice financial incentive.  A few months ago, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts announced that it would provide a state rebate – and now the details are in.  So it’s time for me, and hopefully you, to get shopping.

Massachusetts's EV Rebate Program 

According to InsideEVs.com, the amount of the state rebate will vary.  Pure electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and Tesla S will get a rebate of $2500.  So will plug-in hybrids with extended ranges, such as the Chevrolet Volt.  Other plug-in hybrids with shorter ranges, such as the Toyota Prius Plug-In, will qualify for $1500.  Because there is limited funding for the state rebate, $1.9 million, rebates will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.  So if you have been thinking of buying a plug-in, this summer is a great time to act.  More information about the state rebate program is available at https://mor-ev.org/. 

Our allies at the Conservation Law Foundation have been working to promote electric vehicles.  “Today’s announcement is a major boon to the clean energy economy in the Commonwealth. A year ago, Massachusetts was lagging behind other states in its support for electric transportation. Today, Governor Patrick has shown that Massachusetts is racing to the front of the line on EVs, and soon we’ll see more electric cars on the road because of it,” said Jennifer Rushlow, a staff attorney at Conservation Law Foundation.

A good argument can be made for waiting because the car companies are making steady technological advancements and market competition is putting downward pressure on price.  There is no doubt that EVs will be better two years from now than they are today.  But I want to make a difference now by trading in my 2002 Prius for a car that runs at least partially on electricity.  Car drivers can dramatically reduce their carbon footprints by shifting from gasoline to electricity from the New England power grid because our regional mix is relatively clean and getting cleaner every year.  However, in my case I buy wind power, so my carbon footprint will be zero for every mile powered by the plug rather than the pump. 

Our Plan

In anticipation of the state rebate, my wife and I have already started our car search.  We are focusing on the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and Prius Plug-In.  A couple weeks ago, we test-drove the Nissan Leaf and liked it a lot.  It seats five, one more than the Volt.  The Leaf is pure electric, which is very appealing, but its range is limited to 85 miles or so on a full charge.  Given that my commute to our Boston office is 7 miles, I could go back and forth every day for a week on a single charge.  That would work most days.  But taking the Leaf to our office in Providence might not be doable.  The states of Mass. and Rhode Island are both working on increasing the number of charging stations, but currently there are not a lot of them and even the fastest chargers available would take 30 minutes to charge up the battery. 

The Volt’s four seats and small trunk are not deal breakers because we expect to have the 2008 Prius, which has five seats and large trunk, for at a few more years.  But we will test drive the Volt and Prius Plug-In.  Those cars would relieve us of “range anxiety” because both are hybrids.  We could take either to California if we wanted to.  And again, because I have a short commute to Boston every day, the Volt would allow me to run on wind power 100% of the time because it has an electric range of about 40 miles per charge before needing the gas engine to kick in.  That would give me more electric miles in a year than I have ever driven.  Plus my teenager thinks it looks snazzy.

The Prius Plug-In has a short range of 11 miles per charge.  On the one hand, that would only cover 75% of my daily commute.  On the other hand, that’s 11 miles per day fueled by the wind, which is a lot better than fueling by gasoline, right?  In one year, I would be able to drive 4,015 miles on the wind.  That’s something.  Plus, it’s a five-seater with a bigger trunk than the Volt.   Practicalities come into play.

Each car company has identified important market segments and they have differentiated their products.  I am excited to have these excellent choices-- all could work well for my family and the planet.  These are choices that will allow me to reduce my carbon footprint, reduce the cost of operating a car, and reduce the need to import oil from hostile places like Iran and Texas.  Given the fact that such choices exist, I also feel a responsibility.  If I buy now, I will enjoy the benefits immediately.  And better yet, I will be sending a signal to the market that electric vehicles are worth buying.  And that will encourage carmakers to keep on innovating and policymakers to sustain efforts to support electric vehicles (i.e. by keeping incentives in place, building more charging stations, buying more for public agencies, etc.).  It seems to me that we are approaching a tipping point.  And I want to help us get there.  Are you with me?

And, hey – for those of you early adopters who already own a Leaf, Volt, Prius Plug-In, or something similar, what do you have to say?