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Mikki J. Is Driving an Electric Car for $116/Month
I consider myself an energy-conscious and open-minded person, but I have been admittedly stubborn about cars. As a faithful Volvo owner for over 20 years, I hadn't really considered driving an electric car.
A few months ago, my son Michael said to me, "Mom! You really should consider getting an electric vehicle. Since most of your driving is your commute to work and you bike and walk so much, it'd fit into your lifestyle well. Besides, you rarely go out of town." My response was, "No thank you, I'm waiting for Volvo to introduce a plug-in hybrid or all electric car."
However, Michael (also CEC's Transportation Manager) invited me to test drive a few hybrids and the Nissan LEAF pure electric car. WOW! I could not believe how much I enjoyed driving the LEAF. Much to my surprise, it handled easily, was very responsive and was quite swift, smooth and snappy. At the time, the $35,000+ purchase price or $350 lease option was over my budget. I set a goal to eventually own a LEAF in 5 to 7 years. I planned to sell my trusty Volvo, buy an affordable Prius C in the interim, and hoped LEAF prices would drop enough for me to own one.
Less than 2 weeks ago, my plans changed. I took advantage of an offer from Santa Barbara Nissan to lease a pure electric LEAF for $199/month with $1,999 down (Editor's note: We're not sure how long this particular offer will last. Contact the local dealer for current promotions and check online). This low price is likely due to the fact that LEAF sales have been slow this year, and Nissan is looking to clear out its inventory to make room for the 2013 LEAFs.
In addition, I qualify for a $2,500 California rebate. This rebate (minus the down payment) means that I will be driving for free for the first 3.5 months. After that, my lease will cost $216 (after taxes) per month. I also calculated that I would be saving around $100 per month in gasoline. (I previously spent around $150 per month on gas, but expect my electric bill to increase by about $50 per month). For a total of $116 per month, leasing the LEAF was a no-brainer. Now, I am so proud and thrilled to be driving electric!
Since I rarely drive more than 25 miles in a day, I'm using a regular 120 volt outlet in my garage for charging (as many LEAF owners do). Later, if I find I need to charge up faster, I could always add a 240 volt charger. My garage already has a 240 volt outlet from an old electric dryer, and I could purchase a charging station for $900 at Home Depot.
I take very few road trips, and when I do they are either to LA or the Bay Area. Nissan is now offering the LEAF lease with 10 free rental days with a gasoline car, for those occasional trips. I also could join friends in their car on a road trip, or switch cars with my son when I want to go out of town.
I'm simply thrilled to be off oil! It certainly happened much sooner than the 5 to 7 years I had originally projected. I will not miss driving all around town, fretfully checking and comparing gas prices. Imagine what a totally gratifying experience it is now, as I drive by gas stations with a huge smile!
I'm considering solar panels next, so look for me soon, as I will be driving on sunshine.
WIN: City of Santa Barbara's Climate Action Plan
The Santa Barbara City Council voted 6-1 to pass the Climate Action Plan with the direction for a 25% reduction in community-wide emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. While CEC would have liked to have seen a stronger target and implementation plan, the 68 emission reduction measures include many worthwhile projects, and we look forward to working with the City in implementation efforts.
Rock Out to Electric Tunes in Your Electric Car
My dad was a Mercedes man. My favorite of his cars? A buttermilk 300E with matching leather seats. I loved to slip into that luscious interior and escape to the hardware store for father-daughter bonding. While different models came and went, the Mercedes always got the prime garage spot - with other cars relegated to the driveway.
You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at his house two months ago and encountered the Mercedes parked in the driveway.
Something had changed.
A squeaky clean Chevy Volt was now plugged into the prime garage spot. Dad had purchased the Volt and installed a rooftop solar system through a zero money down lease program. The Department of Energy and the State of CA helped fund his 240 volt charger (no pun intended), which is set to charge only during off-peak periods. With this setup, his electricity bills are about the same, though sourced from renewables instead of fossil fuels, and hedged against inflating energy costs. However, he's saving about $100 a month in gasoline.
To celebrate Dad's shift in priorities, I made him an electric car playlist to bump to while silently whirring down the highway.
I put a lot of thought into the order of these songs and thought there might be other plug-in / hybrid electric vehicle owners who would enjoy a playlist selected specifically for their automobile. I would love to hear what I might have missed and welcome your suggestions.
I hope you'll enjoy this playlist in your electric vehicle!
- "Electric" by Lisa Scott-Lee
- "Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild Radio Mix)" by Electric Six
- "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant
- "Electric Youth" by Debbie Gibson
- "Electric Lady" by Con Funk Shun
- "Electric Feel" by MGMT
- "Plug In Baby" by Muse
- "She's Electric" by Oasis
- "Don't Bring Me Down" by Electric Light Orchestra
- "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne
- "Charge Me Up" by Jennifer Lopez
- "Electric Barbarella" by Duran Duran
- "Electric Man (Radio Edit)" by Mansun
- "Charge" by The Renegades
- "Electricity" by Spiritualized
- "Together In Electric Dreams" by The Human League
- "It's Electric" by Metallica
Listen to the full playlist through CEC's YouTube page →
About the author:
Cherlyn Seruto is currently commuting 80 miles a day via gasoline, and is considering selling her soul for an electric Porsche Speedster a la Reverend Gadget.
MTD Transit Service Reduction
Original Alert: Teamsters Union Local 186, which represents MTD drivers, mechanics, and utility workers, has concerns about the impact of California’s Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) on bargaining rights. This has created a situation that may cause MTD to lose federal funding and would lead to a severe reduction in transit service in our area. Ask the DOL not to cut our service.
Result: 183 people took action.
WIN: SBCAG's Sustainable Communities Strategy
On Thursday, October 18, 2012, the SBCAG board voted unanimously to support Scenario 3+ for their SB 375 Sustainable Communities Strategy.
CEC supported Scenario 3+ as one of the two scenarios that achieved the greatest reductions in per capita greenhouse gas emissions of 5% by 2020 and 11% by 2035.
Dennis A. Wants to Be Free from Fossil Fuels
My journey is one of many steps. Thirty years ago I built a modest house for our family near the upper end of Mission Canyon that was quite green at the time. Our utility bills were miniscule. Nevertheless, in 1999, we installed photovoltaic panels to generate most of our electricity. However, I was troubled by the fact that, living in upper Mission Canyon, we went everywhere around town in our cars -- yes, that is plural. The only way I saw to reduce this dependence on fossil fuel was to move downtown.
Concern about energy and resource use evolved from a basic value that I have held for a long time -- namely, the sacredness of all life. Spending a lot of time camping and backpacking as a child and teenager shaped this reverence for life and my becoming a conscientious objector to war.
As we know, tensions around the possession and exploitation of the planet's finite resources—fossil fuels being prominent on this list—have and continue to lead to many wars and the destruction of many creatures and habitats. I remember being stuck in long lines of cars waiting for gas during the OPEC oil embargo in 1973. That event sparked my involvement with solar energy and efforts to move away from our over-reliance on fossil fuels. This awareness has undergirded my path of using fewer non-replaceable resources.
About 6 years ago, we and 2 other couples began designing a 4 condo infill project just a few blocks off State Street. We harnessed the sun for powering the buildings in all ways—space heating, hot water, and electricity. This combined with rigorous energy conservation measures has nearly freed us from fossil fuels in our homes.
The next step was to get rid of my car, which I did about 8 months ago. Now biking or walking gets me wherever I need to go with the occasional negotiated use of my wife's car. Even though my geographic world has shrunk, my interactive world has increased. I meet more people—old friends, new friends and casual interactions—than I ever did in the past. Best of all, I love it.
Being a part of a small living community has also been wonderful. Visiting, helping, borrowing, lending and sharing on a daily basis is a lost pattern of living for most of America.
The frosting on the cake for this journey (and totally unplanned) is having our son, his partner, and their new baby – our granddaughter – living in the flat just above us. Multi-generations living together is prevalent in most countries of the world but not so common in the U.S. today. This old family living arrangement has brought us great joy and richness. It makes me think often of the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child."
How a Bike Can Reduce Car Trips
CEC recently conducted a drawing to give a bike to a local resident who could make the best case for using the bike to replace a car. (Special thanks to the Isla Vista Bike Boutique for donating the bike). Winner Alex Frost tells us her story and how she will be using her new bike to get off fossil fuels:
What made you consider ditching your car for a bike?
The company I work for just moved to downtown Santa Barbara. I live towards the top of "downtown" between the Arlington and the Santa Barbara Bowl – definitely within biking distance, just under 2 miles. I am also involved in many activities after work that are downtown (kickboxing, pilates, volunteering, coed softball), all within biking distance from home and the office.
Even though my life revolves around the downtown area, I still drive to work every day. I know it doesn’t make sense to drive a few miles, but my other alternatives aren’t working. I need a bike!
Have you tried getting around without your car before?
I’ve tried walking, but it can be challenging because I'm involved in so many activities. I typically use my lunch hour to squeeze some fun into my schedule. When I tried travelling by foot, it’s absolutely impossible to get back to the office in just shy of an hour, with boxing gloves, yoga mats, softball mits, or whatever the day's activities entail (believe me, I tried!). I even tried the electric shuttle service once, but I found the schedule was a bit too unpredictable and I was back to the office even later than if I had walked.
How will owning a bike make things easier?
It’s quicker than walking, easy to ride around town, and I don’t have to drive my car a shamefully short distance to get to work. I have been looking for a bike ever since I moved closer to downtown, but many of them are above my price range.
In a moment of hopeless desire, I bought a bike basket. Unfortunately, it sits unused. I know it’s longing for a companion to wheel around in the fresh air, wanting to carry my gym bag to and fro, and frolic in the breeze. But alas, the basket sits alone, desperately awaiting its mate.
Now that you’ve won a bike, what’s your plan?
I’m going to attach my bike basket immediately! Then, I’ll plan out my routes to work, and try out the bike rack at my office. I’m planning to bike to work every day. I’ll also bike to my extracurricular activities and the farmer's market.
On the weekends, I'm usually down at the beach, which is also close enough to bike to. Plus, all the summer festivals are coming up soon, and they are within biking distance too! I will probably only use my car for occasional trips out of Santa Barbara.
Happy pedaling, Alex! Enjoy the ride.
Local Students Refilled Over 164,000+ Times
The project
As a part of an overall vision to lead the community away from energy-intensive products, CEC launched its "Rethink the Drink" campaign in January 2011, aiming to reduce single use plastic bottles by 75% in two pilot schools. With funding from the Orfalea Foundations and other local partners, we have thus far installed nine refill stations in local schools.