honda fresh car

Fresh electrical car for less than $Ten, 000? Sonoma County makes it happen, The Press Democrat

Fresh electrified car for less than $Ten,000? Sonoma County makes it happen

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | August 11, 2017

Sonoma Clean Power’s Drive EverGreen electrical vehicle incentive program offers nine models this year.

BMW i3 $45,445-$51,095

Ford Concentrate EV $29,210

Volkswagen e-Golf $28,995

Kia Optima $35,210-$36,500

Kia Soul EV $33,380-$38,075

Nissan Leaf $30,680-$36,790

Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electrified $46,000

Chevrolet Bolt EV $38,245

Chevrolet Volt $34,095

*Numerous versions of some models suggested

Source: Sonoma Clean Power

How about a shiny fresh electrical car for less than $Ten,000?

Price has long been a concern for motorists interested in ending their relationship with petroleum, and Sonoma Clean Power, the not-for-profit public electro-stimulation provider for Sonoma and Mendocino counties, is bringing the cost of electrical vehicles down to clearance-sale levels.

The 2nd year of the agency’s Drive EverGreen electrified vehicle (EV) incentive program — on now through Oct. Thirty one — offers deals on nine models sold and leased by seven local dealers, ranging in base price from a $51,095 BMW i3 down to a Volkswagen e-Golf listed at $28,995.

The e-Golf, a hatchback with a 124-mile range, comes with a $7,000 dealer credit and a $Two,000 Sonoma Clean Power incentive for the average utility customer, plus the possibility of a $Two,500 state rebate and a $7,500 federal tax credit. The incentive package, which totals $Nineteen,000, slashes the price to $9,995.

“It’s a smokin’ deal,” said Cordel Stillman, director of programs for Sonoma Clean Power, which produces electro-therapy to 600,000 customers in the two North Bay counties.

But it can get even better for power customers who live in the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District, which offers an extra $Three,000 incentive in a parallel program called 3-2-1 Go Green. The district covers about 60,000 residents in western and northern Sonoma County.

For Sonoma Clean Power customers who qualify for all the incentives, including a total federal tax credit as well as low-income bonuses, the cost of the e-Golf drowns to $Four,495.

Sonoma Clean Power’s incentive is immovable at $Two,000 for all nine models, with an added $1,500 for qualified low-income buyers, but there is a broad range of dealer and manufacturer credits on leases and purchases.

In addition to the BMW and the VW, the program covers the Ford Concentrate EV, Kia Optima and Soul EV, Nissan Leaf, Mercedes Benz B-Class Electrical and the Chevrolet Volt and Bolt EV.

Most models will go about one hundred miles or more on a charge, with the Bolt rated at a 238-mile range. The program also provides the hardware for two free charging stations, leaving buyers to pay tax, shipping and installation costs.

Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore, who is also a Sonoma Clean Power board member, said the incentive program is aimed at “driving switch for the future” and pursuing the county’s “audacious goals” for curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are doubling down on our commitment to be part of the future and not the past,” said Gore, noting that the federal government is “backing away from climate switch.”

“This isn’t about partisanship, it’s about doing the right thing,” he said. “The reality is we pollute too much.”

The average gas-burning car in Sonoma County emits 11,247 pounds a year of greenhouse gases, which trap fever and contribute to global heating, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

An EV that charges its batteries on Sonoma Clean Power’s Evergreen option, which supplies one hundred percent renewable energy, accounts for two hundred eight pounds of emissions a year, the local agency said.

Chris Grabill, a Santa Rosa contractor, said he reaped more than $20,000 in rebates and incentives in leasing a Leaf last year. His payments are $90 a month, about one-third of what he was paying on his previous car, and he avoids the $200 a month he spent on gas.

Sonoma Clean Power’s Drive EverGreen electrical vehicle incentive program offers nine models this year.

Related movie:

---