Electric & Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles
For a FAQ on e-bikes, click here
What Makes Electric Vehicles (EVs) Different? 
EVs have a battery instead of a gas tank and an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have a combination of gas and electric motors, i.e. they have both an electric motor fueled by a battery that you can charge with a plug, and an internal combustion engine fueled by gas. Most EVs come with a "Level 1" charger, which plugs into a standard wall outlet, and can be charged by "Level 2" chargers as well, which provide a faster charge at higher voltage. You can install a Level 2 charger at your home and they are also commercially available (there is a pair in Hastings in the Steinschneider Parking Lot).
Why Buy an EV?
An electric vehicle (EV), is up to five times more efficient than an internal combustion engine. EVs cost less to drive and maintain. In addition:
- Health: Fewer fumes mean healthier lungs for you, your passengers and others.
- Climate & Environment: EVs greatly reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHG) that are driving climate change. Depending on your present car’s MPG and the EV model you replace it with, you can cut your vehicle GHG emissions by ~70%.
- Burning a gallon of gas produces 19.5 lbs. of greenhouse gases (GHG). To go the same distance, an EV only creates (at power plants) 5.6 lbs, or 71% less.
- You'll never have to change your oil - there is none.
- If you charge your car in Hastings, you are likely using electricity from 100% renewable sources.
- Cost: You may get back up to $9,750 in tax credits and rebates off the cost of a new EV. See Plug-In America for available state & federal incentives and check out the Rewiring America Calculator to check your income eligibility.
- Electricity costs less per mile than gas.
- You can save 10¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by charging an EV at night (e.g., on an EV owner’s home-based charger) through Con Ed’s EV Charging Rewards program.
- By using electricity instead of gasoline and by signing up for Charging Rewards, you can save ~70% on the cost of fuel to run your car.
- Engine maintenance and upkeep is cheaper and easier.
Emissions
EVs produce no tailpipe emissions. While charging the battery may cause pollution at the power plant, total emissions associated with driving EVs are still typically less than those for gasoline cars—especially if the electricity is generated from renewable energy. PHEVs produce tailpipe emissions when gasoline is being used as a fuel source.
To estimate the GHG emissions associated with charging and driving an electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions for EVs and PHEVs Calculator.
Charging
You may be able to meet all your driving needs by plugging in while at home, depending on how far you drive each day. Most EVs can be charged with a standard 120 volt outlet. To charge the vehicle more quickly, you can install a dedicated 240-volt outlet or charging system, which typically cost under $400. You may also be able to plug in at your workplace, or at one of the growing numbers of public charging stations. The PlugShare app provides a map of over 440,000 EV charging stations nationwide.
Availability
There are currently over 200 EV and PHEV models on the market, and more models are expected to be released in the coming years. Visit fueleconomy.gov for a full list of options. Not all models are available in all 50 states.
Charge Up Hastings!
If you have questions or would like to share information with the Village on additional EV dealerships, EV charging infrastructure, or EVs in general, please email chargeuphastings@hastingsgov.org.
If you have purchased an EV after June 2023, or are thinking of purchasing an EV, please let us know, so that we can chart and share our EV campaign progress with the Clean Energy Communities program.
And finally: BONUS! Just for fun, watch this: a Hastings family's hilarious 2017 trip to Nova Scotia in a Chevy Bolt EV - in which they cover 2000 miles, camp in tents, eat donuts and learn how to navigate EV car charging.