We asked Anne how she came to her decision to buy an electric vehicle...
"It took me 5 years of research and in that time I went from thinking ‘how exciting to get an EV’ to ‘I don’t think I’ll get one’ to ‘I’ll get a hybrid’, which I even put a deposit on, to then finally deciding to definitely get one! But by that stage (a year ago), every car manufacturer had an EV on the market so it took ages to decide which one!! So many options, including a larger second hand market!!
I chose a Tesla Model 3 in the end because such it is such a good deal (and I saw a friend in the pharmacy who loves his Tesla!). I also spoke to other Tesla owners and was struck by just how much they all seemed to love their car and the whole lifestyle it afforded them.
I had the good fortune to borrow a special friend’s EV – this gave me the confidence to use an EV and confirm that it’s not scary. I found that I quickly adapted to regenerative breaking and charging.
Then two great things happened. The price dropped to the low $50k mark and I discovered my power company will only be charging me $188 a year to charge my Tesla at home. Remarkable. Plus, because I am getting it through a novated lease, and the incentives on EV purchases in Victoria and it lowering my taxable income, I’ll actually by paying less for the car than its original price. Even more remarkable! The costs of paying my novated lease on a new EV are less than the ongoing fuel costs of my existing ICE vehicle. I don’t think I’ll be looking back!
Comments