The Benefits of Going Electric and How EVCS is Making the Transition Easier

The inevitability of electric as the future’s dominant transportation mode seems all but assured at this point, yet many still question the benefits of transitioning to an EV. They cite things like higher vehicle purchase prices, limited charging infrastructure and longer refueling times. While some such concerns are not entirely without merit, a deeper look reveals how far the industry has come in mitigating such issues, with the pros of EV ownership now far outweighing the cons. Consider just a few examples.

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Reduced Operating Costs

Specific Benefits: The high-efficiency electric drive components of an EV combined with the cheaper cost of charging versus gassing up means far better overall fuel economy. An EV can exceed 130 miles on the electric equivalent of one gallon of gasoline (MPGe). In addition, fewer moving parts in an EV reduces traditional maintenance costs.

How EVCS is Helping: We’ve introduced innovative subscription plans that further reduce the cost of charging by allowing drivers to pay a monthly flat rate depending on their usage needs. See more info here: https://subscriptions.evcs.com/

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Improved Energy Security

Specific Benefits: The DOE reports that the transportation sector accounts for 30% of total US energy needs. As such, the multiple fuel sources like wind, solar, hydropower, coal, nuclear and natural gas that are used to power the electric grid (and thus our EVs) help improve national energy security by reducing the burden on a limited oil supply.

How EVCS is Helping: We partner with both private sector companies and state and local governments to expand the size of our network, thus helping diminish reliance on fossil fuels.

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Convenience and Time-Saving

Specific Benefits: EVs can charge at home while people sleep, at the office while they work, and at public places like grocery stores and gyms while they shop or work out. This means no more time-sucking stops at gas stations to fill up.

How EVCS is Helping: Our $68.8M capital raise last year has propelled an aggressive expansion into new cities and across existing ones, particularly in rural and underserved communities. We have nearly 700 locations along the West Coast, which we are poised to double this year, and offer easy-to-use resources that allow drivers to quickly find chargers and track energy usage.

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Government Subsidies

Specific Benefits: While the higher average cost of an EV correlates with its superior performance and technology, an increase in new models from auto manufacturers is beginning to drive down prices. In the meantime, the government offers middle-class earners a tax incentive of up to $7,500 for qualified new vehicles.

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Better for the Planet

Specific Benefits: It’s no surprise that EVs are far cleaner than their ICE counterparts, significantly reducing the impact of carbon emissions and other pollutants on our atmosphere. An ICCT report shows that a midsized EV can lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (which factors in fossil fuels used to the power the grid) by an average of 64%.

How EVCS is Helping: Our charging network is powered 100% by renewable energy.

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Bonus Points

Specific Benefits: EVs often boast enhanced safety features and the most advanced automotive technology, like no-lag acceleration and regenerative braking. Drivers often enjoy perks like HOV lanes, reserved parking spaces, free metered parking, and free or reduced tolls as well.

How EVCS is Helping: We continue working hard to inform current and future customers alike on all the benefits of EV ownership through our online newsroom, blog and social media channels as well as traditional media interviews and advertising campaigns.

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Review the following IRS webpage for more information on tax credits for clean air vehicles: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-clean-vehicles-purchased-in-2023-or-after

Review the ICCT website for insight and analysis on the impact of clean energy transportation:

https://theicct.org/insight-analysis/publications/

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What New $1.4B CEC Funding Means to California

If you’re a Californian, this Thanksgiving season brought a lot to be thankful for, notwithstanding both the Rams and Chargers getting shellacked on the road nor the average 24% price increase of frozen turkeys. No, rather we’re referring to the three-year $1.4 billion funding initiative that was quietly approved by the California Energy Commission the week before the feast-filled holiday kicked off. The goal? Close the Golden State’s 2025 infrastructure funding gap and speed up the push toward Governor Newsom’s plan for a zero-emission “autopia.”

2020: A Year in Review

Two thousand twenty has been a year of undeniable adversity, but also one of remarkable achievement. A year of firsts and hopefully a few lasts. A time of toil and tribulation, but also of triumph. For genuine success is partly defined by our ability to hurdle those implacable obstacles that make the result so noteworthy in the first place. Now, as the EVCS team looks back on this unusual year, we take stock of our unique achievements that made 2020 one for the books.

Commentary on Geotab’s 2020 EV Fleet Trends Article – Part II

Two weeks ago, we published part one of our commentary on Geotab’s in-depth article, “Electric Vehicle Trends 2020: Top 6 Factors Impacting Fleet Electrification” (https://www.geotab.com/white-paper/electric-vehicle-trends/). Again, the idea was to assess whether each of the trends were evolving as Geotab predicted and, if so, how EVCS was responding to them in the marketplace. Below are the final three trends referenced and our thoughts on each.

Commentary on Geotab’s 2020 EV Fleet Trends Article – Part I

At the beginning of this year, Geotab published a very interesting white paper titled “Electric Vehicle Trends 2020: Top 6 Factors Impacting Fleet Electrification.” (The piece can be found in its entirety here: https://www.geotab.com/white-paper/electric-vehicle-trends/) Now that we’re approaching the end of 2020, we thought it might be useful to go back through the assertions made in the paper to determine (1) whether the trends are evolving as Geotab predicted, and (2) if so, how EVCS is able to address those trends, including the targeting of customer pain points. Below are the first three trends referenced out of the six and our thoughts on each.