(press release from Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce):
Electrify your ride at Newton’s Harvest Fair
Local organizers offer electric vehicle ride & drives at annual Green Expo
Newton, MA – Ever wondered if an electric vehicle (EV) is right for you and want to take one for a spin?
Visitors to Newton’s 2015 Harvest Fair will have a chance to get behind the wheel and experience the peppiness and quiet of this exciting new vehicle technology on Sunday Oct. 18 when Plug In America, along with Sierra Club and the Newton-Needham Chamber will be offering test drives of several EV models to qualified drivers.
The all-electric vehicles that will be available for a test drive on Sunday are a Nissan LEAF and three different BMW plug-in electric vehicles.
Since 2008 the Newton-Needham Chamber has partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs to bring the Green Solutions Expo to the Harvest Fair and showcase green products and non-profits.
“We’re excited to offer people electric vehicle test drives this year,” said Greg Reibman, president of the Newton Needham Chamber. “EVs are practical, safe and fun to drive, but many folks don’t feel that way until they get behind the wheel themselves.”
Advocates for electric vehicles work to educate communities on the environmental and economic benefits of EVs, while the state and federal government make purchasing or leasing an EV easier with financial incentives. With a state rebate of up to $2,500, and a federal tax credit of $7,500, consumers are offered a combined total of $10,000 in incentives upon purchasing or leasing a new EV. Visit https://mor-ev.org/ for more details.
Emily Norton, Chapter Coordinator of the Massachusetts Sierra Club and a Newton Alderman hopes to see more car owners make the switch to electric. “Forty percent of our state’s carbon pollution comes from the transportation sector. Electrifying our transportation fleet is critical to meeting the Commonwealth’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.”
Green Solutions EXPO, sponsored by Newton Solar Challenge and BarnRaise Energy, will take place as part of Newton’s Annual Harvest Fair on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Newton Center parking lot. Admission is free and the EXPO will take place rain or shine.
It’s important to remember that driving an electric car doesn’t eliminate pollution; it relocates it. Producing electricity also creates pollution. I haven’t seen much written about this trade-off and whether electric cars produce less pollution overall or not.
“Nationwide, EVs charged from the electricity grid produce lower global warming emissions than the average compact gasoline-powered vehicle (with a fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon)—even when the electricity is produced primarily from coal in regions with the “dirtiest” electricity grids.”
(Note Mass. will be the first state to go coal-free in 2017 with the closing of Brayton Point in Somerset.)
For more details read this Union of Concerned Scientists report.
What? No Teslas? 😉
I’m looking forward to trying one of these out tomorrow.
@Emily, many also forget that obtaining, refining, and shipping of gasoline takes a toll as well. Additionally, there are many renewable sources of energy that can feed the grid, whereas there’s a finite supply of gasoline.
@Randy that is a great point. Our electric grid is increasingly being powered by renewables (with a goal of 100% renewable at some point) but there will never be a renewable version of petroleum.
And if anyone wants to check out the EV driving experience and can’t make it to the Expo today, let me know, you can take a spin in my Leaf! Haven’t visited a gas station in 4 months, #LovinIt
@Emily – thanks for the info. I’ve just seen too many people write about electric vehicles as if they magically got rid of all pollution.
Even without the developing clean grid, EVs are intrinsically much more efficient than gas cars, because they don’t idle and they transfer electrical energy to motion much more efficiently than combustion engines.
Electric vehicles are fully capable of “Magically getting rid of” pollutants-It’s called solar power. Solar panels made in a green factory, installed at one’s residence, and charging an Ev, is 100% clean!