All I Want for Christmas is a New Electric Vehicle

There are many reasons why you may be shopping for a new vehicle. Our needs change all the time – kids grow up and get their own transportation, or maybe you started working from home.

If you are thinking of asking Santa for a new EV - here are 12 reasons (one for each of the 12 days) why we at Northwest Renewables believe that’s an excellent idea:

1. Electric Vehicles are cheaper to operate – it really is that simple. The Energy Department found that battery-powered EVs can cost less than $1,000 per year to charge and maintain, compared to the cost of fuel alone for conventional vehicles, which runs up to $7,000 per year.

2. An EV is environmentally friendly. EVs produce no emissions, and that benefits the air quality, especially in urban areas where there can be a lot of commuter traffic. If you are worried about your impact on the climate, definitely consider getting an EV and erase your output of CO2 and NOx gasses.

3. You get a tax credit – the Inflation Reduction Act, which President Biden signed on Aug. 16, created a tax credit for those who buy new electric vehicles. The credit is worth up to $7,500. The Inflation Reduction Act also offers rebates for installing the necessary wiring in your house to charge your new EV.

4. All the major car manufacturers have EVs on their show floors. Gone are the days when you had to pick between one or two weird-looking models you couldn't get serviced anywhere near where you live. Hyundai, Volkswagen, and Jaguar all make EVs, and you can even get a Ford Mustang or a Ford F-150 pickup truck.

5. Electric vehicles are at least as safe as conventional vehicles based on crash test data. Because of the weight and location of the battery in some models, they have a lower center of gravity and are less prone to spinouts and flip overs than conventional vehicles.

6. Because they are electric and computer-operated, many EVs also have extra safety features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), parking assistance (no more dings in the rear bumper!) and lane-keep assist.

7. EVs are much cheaper to maintain. A combustion engine has hundreds of components that wear out at different rates and have to be replaced – often at the most inconvenient times. Some EV manufacturers (Nissan) estimate their EVs cost 40 percent less to maintain than a conventional vehicle.

8. It’s no longer difficult to find an EV charger – and it has never been easier to get one at home. Having an EV charger in your garage or your driveway increases the value of your home, and many power companies offer discounts on installation.

9. EVs are fun to drive – let’s face it. They are speedy and responsive because they produce peak torque from a standstill! The low center of gravity makes them easy to handle, and they never have to warm up - they are always ready to go.

10. Range anxiety – where you worry about not making it to the the next EV charger – is a thing of the past. It’s estimated that the average American drives fewer than 39 miles a day. EVs have different range capacities, with the shortest being around 80 miles and the longest around 400 miles. Some EVs are outfitted with special technology (Tesla Model S with ONE energy pack) and can go as far as 750 miles on a charge.

11. EVs do just fine in cold weather, though just like conventional vehicle batteries, EV batteries are not at top performance when it’s freezing. If you are concerned about cold weather driving, look for an EV with a heat pump system (Nissan) to take the pressure off the battery when the temperatures drop.

12. The cheapest place to charge your EV will always be at home. Electricity prices vary, but in our region the average in 2022 was about 10 cents per kWh. If you drive about 1100 miles per month, then you’d use about 394 kWh – WHICH MEANS YOU CAN DRIVE ALL MONTH LONG FOR ONLY $39.40 !