Dreaming of an EV

About six years ago I felt ready to buy a used electric vehicle (EV). I knew I could afford a used Nissan Leaf, but my son and his family, whom I was babysitting, lived 70 miles away. The Leaf range was not sufficient for my needs. So I had to be content with buying a used Prius — while I kept on dreaming about one day buying a Tesla.

When my Prius started to act up, I decided it was time to look again. My son then made a $100 deposit in my name for a Tesla Model 3, but I honestly felt like a Tesla was out of my reach and that the deposit would be lost. I was secretly happy that the 2021 supply chain issues kept pushing my Tesla delivery further into the future.

That’s when I was invited to attend an Acterra GoEV workshop, a Financial Incentives Clinic.

Encouraged and Inspired

At the workshop, it was inspiring to see all these diverse people on Zoom who, like me, also wanted to do their bit by driving an EV and avoiding producing all these greenhouse gas emissions.

And I was encouraged, learning from Ariane (Acterra’s E-mobility Educator), that there were rebates to help me buy that Tesla that I had wanted. My Prius had held its value really well, so after adding that up with rebates, the Tesla seemed possible. Immediately after the workshop, I requested a follow-up consultation where I was able to clarify the answers to my questions. Afterwards, Ariane and Sonja (one of Acterra’s EV Ambassadors) forwarded the appropriate links to all the pages I needed for the rebates. I also felt I had someone to go to, if I got stuck, and indeed, Ariane was very helpful answering more questions and pointing me to the right contacts to get further help.

Reaching My Goal, and Sharing the Love

Fast-forward… my Tesla was delivered in February 2022! I did the paperwork and three months later I got a $3,500 rebate from Marin Clean Energy (MCE), and eventually I received a $4,500 rebate from California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (also known as CVRP).

My experience with Acterra has been like holding hands to form a chain that passes information onwards to help others. Eventually my daughter-in-law also bought a Tesla and is awaiting her rebates. I passed onto her all the links I had gotten from Acterra.

I absolutely love driving an EV! Charging it at home has been easy. MCE has my back with green energy, and the App they provide to charge my EV during off-peak hours of the day also makes me feel I’m making the best possible choices for the planet. Now, if anybody asks me about my experience buying an EV, I speak about the Acterra workshop and what I learned through my experience with them, hoping to inspire others to go EV. You can do it too.

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Editor’s note: Do you have an EV story you’d like to share? Email us. Your post could be featured on Acterra’s blog! Also, please note that electric vehicle rebates may vary depending on a resident’s income level as well as program availability. You can learn more at Acterra’s next Financial Incentives Clinic on January 25.