Going Electric Without a Home Charger
Arundhati and Sarthak moved to Princeton in 2021 with a leased vehicle. When the lease was coming to an end, they started to think about what their next car would be and if they should get a gas-powered vehicle or an Electric Vehicle (EV). Sarthak shared, “We were thinking of our four-year-old daughter, all grown up, and asking us why, when you had the option between an EV and a gas-powered vehicle, you went with gas?” They knew this was a question they did not want to face, so they decided to get an EV in February 2023.
Arundhati and Sarthak decided on a new Tesla EV specifically for the charging infrastructure. They saw more options for it with fast chargers throughout the surrounding area. When purchasing the vehicle, they received a $2,000 rebate from New Jersey and a $7,500 federal tax credit later. Only recently did they receive the $7,500, but this policy has recently changed to allow registered dealerships to get you this amount directly discounted from the price of your vehicle.
Arundhati drives their daughter in their EV to and from school while Sarthak rides his E-bike to the train station and then takes the train into the city for work. They thought about getting a second vehicle but found it unnecessary because public transportation was so close.
Charging Up
Despite Arundhati and Sarthak living in a townhouse that does not have a charger, they don’t even have to think about charging. Arundhati talks about the features in their Tesla, “It will show you when you need to charge your car, and there is an option you click to show you all the possible chargers in the area, but in a normal gas car, you don’t have that.” During the week, they will charge their car throughout town, like when visiting the pool or the library, but they do their significant charges towards the end of the week when grocery shopping at Costco or Target. Sarthak exclaimed, “Charging is a really good experience for me,” as he could watch Netflix or take Zoom calls from the screen in the car.
Infrastructure Hopes
Although they don’t have charge anxiety, Arundhati does have hope for more charging infrastructure and “at least one charging point in our community.” They feel this would make charging their vehicle even less of a thought and encourage other residents to get an EV. They also shared that some chargers in town are more reliable than others and they would like to see at least one supercharger in Princeton. Another common charging spot is the covered garage chargers in town, which even have discount rates at certain times. They love these spots and hope to see even lower rates for the actual garage parking as they pay to charge. Check out all the places you can charge your EV in Princeton.
Demystifying Electric Vehicles
Arundhati and Sarthak are demystifying EVs and seeing benefits in the many myths. They have no problem in the cold winter, took a road trip to South Carolina, and have no charge anxiety. Arundhati spoke about the benefits of their Tesla in the Winter, saying she can heat the car from her phone inside her house (so no, they do not have to worry about the door handles freezing shut!). After their road trip to South Carolina, Sarthak said, “We would probably never do a normal gas car for a road trip because our Tesla has autopilot so that they can relax.” Because of improvements in charging infrastructure over the years and the helpful smart tech in their Tesla, Sarthak shares, “We never had charge anxiety.”
Advice to Other Renters
When asked what advice they would give to other renters looking to get an EV Arundhati said, “Don’t be scared to get the EV or think that there will be a charging problem; it will be fine!” Since they bought their EV, they have seen three other residents in their community get EVs. They are happy to share their experience and look forward to seeing more EVs on the roads and in their community.
Take Action
- See EVs on display at Sustainable Princeton’s eCommuter Fest in the fall at the Princeton Shopping Center (also home to two public Charge Point chargers!)
- Locate public charging stations across the country using the map tool the U.S. Department of Energy’s website.
- Learn more about EV rebates and incentives!
