Guest commentary: Why now is the right time to switch to an electric vehicle
Tia Kordell
Community Environmental Council
It’s official: when it comes to protecting us from the growing threat of a climate crisis, the federal government is not just asleep at the wheel — it’s driving us in reverse. Regressive climate policies, funding rollbacks, and the purge of environmental agencies threaten to permanently set the climate movement back by a decade or more.
As we watch years of climate progress unravel, state and local action is the only path toward a livable future.Thankfully, there are many impactful ways we can resist these attempts to thwart climate progress. While this may seem small in the scheme of things, one such way is to switch to an electric vehicle.
DRIVING ELECTRIC IS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE
Transportation is the highest-emitting sector in the United States, and D.C. seems bent on keeping it that way by threatening California’s clean car goals and taking aim at the Clean Air Act. If you want to resist these attacks on the climate movement, switch to an EV.
EVs emit much less carbon and air pollution than gas-powered vehicles (no matter how you charge them), and adopting an EV in these times signals your resistance to oil companies and support for climate action.
This is especially true for California residents. As the fourth-largest economy in the world with far more cars on the road than any other state, California has the power to shape global vehicle markets and influence climate action well beyond our borders.
When we back California’s 2035 zero-emissions vehicle target and collectively push for EV adoption, it sends a clear message to automakers, other states, and the federal government: the clean energy revolution is still underway — regardless of what happens on the Hill or in the White House.
CUE THE COUNTDOWN
Buying a new car can be costly and complicated, so let’s break down how to get a new or used electric vehicle at an affordable price.
Through IRS Clean Vehicle Tax Credits, you can get up to $7,500 to buy or lease a new plug-in hybrid, EV, or fuel cell vehicle, or up to $4,000 for a used one, but not for long.
When Congress signed the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, they cut this EV affordability program and set it to expire September 30, 2025 (instead of 2032). If you want to claim these EV savings, head to the dealership as soon as possible.
If you are unable to take advantage of the federal tax credits before they go away, you still have other ways to fund an EV purchase or lease.
Many local drivers have access to at least one or two additional incentives –– and there are even more for low- to moderate-income drivers (income thresholds are as high as $141,200 for a family of four in Santa Barbara).
California’s Driving Clean Assistance program offers up to $12,000 for EVs, EV charging, and other green transit options (think E-Bikes and bus passes).
Utility companies offer their own EV incentives. Plus, the City of Santa Barbara gives rebates for EVs and EV charging.
The best part of having an array of funding programs available is — eligibility pending — you can stack these funds to significantly bring down the cost of an EV purchase or lease.
LOOKING FOR HELP?
If you need help making the switch, look to the Community Environmental Council (CEC). Our mission is to ensure that proven environmental solutions like this are given the opportunity to succeed.
CEC provides free one-on-one support to community members to take advantage of EV funding programs. Our team can answer your EV and EV charging questions, find out what funding you qualify for, and help you apply for incentives.
EVs alone aren’t going to change the tide on climate – we still need to equitably and holistically shift the entire transportation system.
However, EV adoption is a necessary piece of the puzzle for ramping down carbon pollution, and it’s a potent way to push the climate movement forward amid the federal administration’s regressive actions.
Now more than ever, every voice, every action, and every ton of carbon emissions matter, so swapping your car is a step toward the livable climate future we need.
Tia Kordell is a communications manager at Santa Barbara-based nonprofit Community Environmental Council.
