How the “Purchase of Receivables” System Drives Up Everyone's Electric Rates in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, customers of Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil receive electricity bills that are split into...
![Picture of Carrie Katan](https://blog.greenenergyconsumers.org/hs-fs/hubfs/carrie.jpg?width=30&name=carrie.jpg)
Pardon this first-person account, but if you are thinking about buying or leasing an electric vehicle (EV) this year, this might be of help. Given what I do for a living, I know a lot of people who drive EVs, all different makes and models, and about 99% love the car they have. Our family has really enjoyed driving a Chevy Volt since 2014 (plug-in hybrid, or PHEV) and a Chevy Bolt (all-electric) since that came out a few years later. (Back when we got that Volt, we wrote a blog series about it – boy has the EV market come a long way in 10 short years!) Both cars are great for the money. We have had a decade of very low maintenance costs.
Now Chevy has two new all-electric cars on the market – the Equinox EV, a small SUV, and the Blazer EV, a mid-sized SUV. My family has been interested in trading in our Volt or Bolt for one of those newer models. We just had to wait until they appeared at a dealer near our home.
On May 18, Green Energy Consumers Alliance hosted a tour of the Whitman River Hydro facility in beautiful Westminster, Massachusetts. At the tour, we had a few of our EV ambassadors proudly display their rides. So, I was happy to borrow a brand-new Blazer from Quirk Chevrolet in Braintree, MA. They sent me off with a fully loaded all-wheel-drive Blazer EV and I must say that the ride was incredibly comfortable (with excellent technology), about 65 miles each way.
The Chevrolet Blazer at our Whitman Hydro event
I told attendees of the hydro tour that the Blazer is excellent, but I was waiting to test drive the Equinox EV that was coming soon. Why? The Equinox EV is a bit smaller, more efficient (more miles per kilowatt-hour) and less expensive, all things to our liking.
As it happens, Quirk got some Equinoxes in on May 24, so the family went to Braintree for a test drive. Same great ride as the Blazer with a great price. As a result, we ordered one in Riptide Blue (nice color at no extra charge, the red is cool but costs $495).
Here are some facts about the Chevy EVs:
Our family has been a fan of Chevy EVs ever since the Volt, but of course, there are lots of other excellent makes and models out there. And now, with federal tax credits benefiting both buyers and lessors, there are many EVs available at lower prices than the average new car with a gasoline engine. For more information on available EVs, including but not limited to the Blazer and Equinox, visit GreenEnergyConsumers.org/DriveGreen.
We’re looking forward to picking up our new Equinox EV soon (it’s in transit). It checks all the boxes we had on our list. You don’t have to buy an Equinox just because we did, but whatever you do, if you can make your next car an EV, do it. Our Drive Green team is here to help!
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