Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Massachusetts and therefore a crucial component of any climate change mitigation strategy. MassCEC has supported the development of clean transportation technologies and strategies in Massachusetts for several years, awarding a total of $4.2 million to 28 clean transportation technology projects. Now, we are excited to announce that we have partnered with the non-profit Green Energy Consumers Alliance to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles across the Commonwealth through their Drive Green program.
Why electric vehicles?
Electric vehicles (EVs) are much cleaner than their gas-powered counterparts and therefore both a tool to fight climate change and protect our public health. If the Commonwealth is to meet the mandate of the Global Warming Solutions Act, we must rapidly replace gas-powered cars with electric vehicles (in addition to supporting alternatives to single-passenger vehicles!). In addition, Massachusetts is one of 9 states that have signed on to California’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, with a target of 300,000 ZEVs on our roads by 2025. Right now, there are about 22,000 registered in the state, so we have a ways to go in a very short period of time!
In addition to the environmental imperative, electric vehicles save drivers money on both fuel and maintenance costs, there’s currently a federal tax credit that can help bring down costs, and EV owners love their cars. There are tons of good reasons to go electric!
Why Green Energy Consumers Alliance?
Green Energy Consumers Alliance is a non-profit organization working to harness the power of energy consumers to speed the transition to a low-carbon future. Based in Boston and Providence, Green Energy Consumers has been running a program called Drive Green since 2016 to make EVs more accessible and affordable. The Drive Green website is an excellent resource for anybody looking to learn more about EVs, with information about charging, federal and state incentives, fuel costs, maintenance, environmental benefits, and more!
In addition, Green Energy Consumers has built up a network of car dealerships across the Commonwealth who offer fixed discounts on EVs to program participants. A consumer can view deals side-by-side right on Green Energy Consumers’ website and then decide how many vehicles they’d like to test-drive and where. As long as the consumer fills out the sign-up form, they qualify for the listed discounts, which they can then stack on top of existing state and federal EV incentives. So far, over 2,000 people have signed up to test-drive through Green Energy Consumers’ platform and over 700 of those folks have gotten an EV through the program, each saving a couple thousand dollars on top of governmental incentives, depending on the car and month! MassCEC has partnered with Green Energy Consumers to expand the Drive Green program and we hope you’ll Drive Green too!
