With the 7th annual Electric Vehicle Day approaching on Sept. 14 it might be time to consider the ways an electric vehicle could save you money.
The Liberty Station event hosted by San Diego Gas and Electric, Cleantech San Diego and the Center for Sustainable Energy has been the largest electric vehicle event in the world for the past three years and is part of National Drive Electric Week , SDG&E Communications Manager Jessica Packard said.
The event will include test drives of new electric vehicles, electric vehicle vendors, food, electric bikes, a dog adoption center and activities for children. During the event, 25 of those who sign up to test drive an electric vehicle could win a $1,000 rebate towards the purchase or lease of a new electric vehicle, plug-in or hybrid, Packard said.
“We are trying to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles because our mission is to continue to be one of the most sustainable,” Packard said.
The number of attendees for the event the past few years may not come as a surprise as more and more people are buying electric vehicles.
From 2017 to 2018 there was a nearly 81 percent increase in new electric vehicle registrations, or exactly 41,271 electric vehicles, according to the latest report from the California Green Vehicle Report .
The San Diego region is home to about 43,000 electric vehicles and 1,700 charging stations, with both numbers growing, Packard said. However, despite their increasing popularity, electric and fuel cell vehicles only made up 4.9 percent of new vehicles in San Diego County in 2018, according to the report.
One of the top retailers of electric vehicles in California is Tesla, and it accounted for 29.3 percent of the alternative powertrain, which includes hybrid, plug in hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles, market in 2018, according to the report.
For Gil Poliak, 34, the decision to purchase a Tesla Model 3 was influenced by how much money he could save during his daily 60 mile commute from Otay Ranch to work. After having the vehicle for six months, Poliak said he is happy with it and knows that it has saved him money, although he has not calculated the exact amount.
Poliak was able to earn a $2,500 federal tax credit and a $850 credit from SDG&E for owning an electric vehicle, he said.
Currently there are more than 50 plug-in electric vehicles from nearly 30 retailers that qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, according to the IRS . This tax credit begins to phase out and decrease in dollar amount when a vehicle manufacturer sells at least 200,000 of the model in the U.S. Besides federal and state tax credits, other benefits of owning an electric vehicle include not having to spend money on gasoline, an HOV sticker to bypass traffic commuting to work, low maintenance costs and helping to improve air quality in the area, Packard said.
Local real estate agent Douglas Gutierrez, 28, said he decided to purchase a Tesla Model S not only because it fit his lifestyle, but because as a millenial he also cares about helping people and the environment.
While Gutierrez said he estimates that he has saved around $600 to $800 a month just on gas, it is important to take into account how much time you could spend waiting for your vehicle to charge if you don’t have one at home.
“Unless you are centrally located where you can access a charger I would not recommend it.”
