As frequent readers of our blog will know, transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts. The cars, trucks, and buses on our roads are also responsible for pollution that causes direct and widespread harm to human health – harm that disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color. Right now, there’s something you can do about it: get your legislator to attend an upcoming briefing on bills that will work on these issues!

From 1982 to 2016, Green Energy Consumers Alliance focused our attention on building energy for homes and businesses. But in 2016, alarmed at the rise in greenhouse gas emissions from cars, we became aware of the potential of vehicle electrification as a measure to reduce those emissions. Since we are an alliance of consumers and, at our core, connect energy users to cleaner options through our program offerings, we looked outside the house and began our Drive Green program in order to educate people about electric vehicles (EVs) and to give them a chance to get one at a more affordable price.

If you’re like 99% of Massachusetts and Rhode Island drivers, the car you own now has an internal combustion engine (ICE) that runs on gasoline. Now might be a smart time to trade in your gas-powered car for an EV. Here’s why. 

I often hear EV skeptics say some variation of, “Unless electric vehicles are charged with 100% renewables, they’re still contributing to pollution.” That seems intuitive, but we don’t have to wait for 100% zero-emissions electricity to have a huge impact on the climate by transitioning to electric vehicles.

During the early years of the electrification era, the choices in electric vehicles were slim. The earliest version of the Nissan LEAF offered a comforting dose of normalcy but unfortunately was accompanied by a small electric range. Then came the super-suave Tesla with more of everything, including the sticker price. But it wasn’t until the Chevrolet Bolt came on to the scene that consumers finally had a car to choose that was highly functional and affordable.

New Incentive for Electric Trucks in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) recently announced that the popular rebate program for electric vehicles, MOR-EV, will now offer incentives for medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks too. This is great news for the climate and public health in Massachusetts. 

For the last two decades, the Toyota Camry has been the reigning champion of passenger cars in the Unites States. But behind the scenes, the Toyota RAV4 had been steadily gaining speed in the race for most popular car and finally took the top spot in 2019. The Toyota RAV4 sold nearly 450,000 cars with it's slow and steady approach. In the end, the Toyota Camry didn't just lose its top spot, it came in with a measly 337,000 models sold, snatching eighth place.

In the months since California Governor Gavin Newsom announced by executive order that the state would phase out the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035, the world has changed.  

In addition to our BIG DEAL panel on Phasing Out Gasoline later this month, we've got awesome webinars coming up on climate policy, installing solar, and electric cars. And they're all free!

• TCI 101: How to advocate for clean transportation in MA & RI: February 10th and 11th
• Electric Vehicles 101: February 10th
  
• Intro to EnergySage: Solar Made Easy: February 17th
• Solar Next Steps: Ask a Solar Coach: February 24th