Many people across the world are looking for ways to help the planet, reduce carbon emissions, decrease the size of their own personal carbon footprint and save and replenish the nature, environment and ecosystems around them.
With many ditching one-use plastics and opting for reusable items, this has significantly reduced plastic waste around the world and proves that people are looking for ways to do their bit for the planet.
But doing just this won’t help reduce and rewind the clock on climate change.
Companies all over the world are looking for ways to change the products they produce, to help them be more environmentally friendly when in use by the customer – with one big change happening on our roads.
Drivers are saying goodbye to gas-powered vehicles and saying a big hello to hybrid and all-electric vehicles!
Now that many are trading in their gas-powered cars and exchanging them for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids, it made us wonder – are there any dos and don’ts, or pros and cons, to owning an electric car in the state of Illinois?
Scroll down to discover some of the dos and don’ts / pros and cons, we’ve discovered when it comes to owning an electric car in the state of Illinois.
Dos / Pros
- The state of Illinois is offering a rebate of up to $4000 for its residents, when you purchase an all-electric vehicle with a dealer located in the state of Illinois, who is licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State.
- You’ll still need to meet the same legal requirements for your car insurance in Illinois, so you’ll only need to change your policy to an EV policy, and can keep the same coverages you had previously. Additionally, many insurance companies offer perks for taking out an EV policy, such as planting trees in your area to reduce your carbon emissions further.
- Rural Illinois EV drivers, on average could see themselves saving $743 by switching from gasoline to electric.
- Charging an EV at home, is close to you paying $0.70 per gallon of gasoline.
- By driving an EV in Illinois, you’ll produce 2.7 metric tons of emissions per year, compared to the 4.9 metric tons the average gasoline car produces. However, as mentioned above, many insurance companies offer tree schemes to lower this emission figure per EV policy.
Don’ts / Cons
- When buying a new electric vehicle, it can be more expensive to buy than a gas-powered vehicle. However, in the long run, you’ll start to see a savings difference. (mercyhealthplex.com)
- As EVs are still fairly new to the roads, it can be hard to find a good secondhand EV to buy.
- All EVs are subjected to a range limitation before needing to be recharged. So, a road trip will take longer and you’ll need to plan your route carefully around charging stations.
- If you’re out and about and need to recharge your vehicle, you may find that public charging stations are limited, or do not put out the same charging output as the one you have at home.
