Looking to go green? As yummy as avocado toast or a kale smoothie sounds, that’s not quite the green we are talking about. We’re talking about the stuff that leaves a positive impact on our environment, like an electric vehicle (EV).
If you’ve already made the switch, you’re ahead of the curve, but if you haven’t you might want to keep reading because shopping for an EV isn’t the same as a regular car. There’s different things a buyer should take into consideration before signing the dotted line. If you’re shopping for your first electric vehicle in Florida, here’s some things to consider:
Do You Have A Solid Plan for Charging?
Most electric vehicles can be charged at home through a standard outlet, however there’s two different levels of charging, 1& 2. The difference in levels is the time it takes for the vehicle to charge. Levels 1 adds anywhere from 2-5 miles of range time per hour, whereas level 2 adds about 10 to 60 miles of range time per hour. Level 2 charging requires special equipment that needs to be professionally installed, so this can end up being costly. However, if you’re looking to save some charging time, it’s worth looking into.
Will You Qualify for Electric Car Incentives & Tax Credits?
Word on the street is that, buying an electric vehicle opens up the doors to different tax incentives and credits. One that garners the most attention is the federal electric vehicles tax credit of up to $7,500. That much money for driving an EV? Here’s the catch: this tax credit is only valid on the manufacturers first 200,000 vehicles sold, so if this is something you’d be interested in, do your research. There’s also an upside to buying an electric vehicle in Florida and that’s the Green Driver State Incentives.
Should You Buy or Lease an Electric Vehicle?
The answer to this should always be, do what’s best for you, however some things you may want to consider are the depreciation, if you want to drive an EV longer than a couple years, maintenance costs, interest rates, payments, etc. Sometimes it helps to create a side-by-side comparison to determine which option will benefit you more in the long run.
What Brands Are There To Look Into?
When it comes to EV’s the first thing that comes to mind is probably a Tesla, however a lot of manufacturers are starting to dip into the EV trend. If you’re looking into high end options other than a Tesla, BMW has the i3, which is geared towards urban and suburban travel. Other manufacturers that have come out with EV’s are Nissan, Chevrolet and Ford. These options are great for more economical focused individuals.
Making the switch to go green is up to you, but once you’re there enjoy your avocado toast or kale smoothie while you power up!
