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Driving Green: What to know before buying an electric vehicle

By WTOP Staff

Joan Michelson, special to wtop.com

WASHINGTON – If you’re in the market for a new car, want to reduce your carbon footprint or are interested in cool new vehicles, the 2013 Washington Auto Show is a great place to see what’s out there.

The show is a one-stop shop featuring all the automakers, and most seem to have eco-friendly electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in-electric hybrid vehicles (PEVs) on display.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank toured the show and said automakers have reached a turning point with the current fleet of cars. Automakers are now focusing on fuel efficiency and reducing emissions as much as technology and performance. That’s a benefit to car buyers.

You can find alternative fuel vehicles at every automaker’s exhibit and at the Electric Vehicle Association’s display, which is part of the Advanced Technology Superhighway. At the Fiat Drive Track — which looks like the bumper cars at an amusement park but has real cars — you can drive a range of Fiats, including the 500e.

At a press conference, David Danielson, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, discussed President Barack Obama’s EV Everywhere Grand Challenge announced last March.

“The United States seeks to be the first nation in the world to produce plug-in electric vehicles that are as affordable for the average American family as today’s gasoline-powered vehicles are and to do this within the next 10 years,” Danielson said.

The initiative includes making cheaper batteries and improving manufacturing, which should reduce the price of cars, and installing charging stations “everywhere.”

Charging stations “everywhere”

A key issue is being able to charge your EV or PEV as easily as you can find a gas station. We’re close. The EV Everywhere Grand Challenge includes partnerships with large employers, parking entities, real estate developers and others to build the infrastructure to support EV and PEV charging from home, at shopping centers and work places.

At the Washington Auto Show, Energy Secretary Stephen Chu described an infrastructure in development in the D.C. region — and all over the U.S. — that includes parking garages.

In a presentation before the show, Parking Management Inc., which operates more than 100 parking facilities in D.C., Virginia and Maryland, announced that it is installing EV charging stations in various garages and already has them in six locations, including Crystal City, Va. and BWI airport.

Another sign that electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles are growing in popularity is that tenants for new real estate developments, such as some in Tysons Corner and Mom’s Organic Market on Lee Highway in the new Mosaic development, are requesting developers to install wiring for charging stations in their parking lots.

Incentives

Each state offers incentives for EV and PEV purchasing. See incentives in D.C., Maryland and Virginia on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments website.

Tips

If you’re in the market for an electric vehicle or a plug-in electric vehicle, the same car-buying tips apply as for any other car. Consider the following:

  • Where are you driving? How often? Types of roads?
  • How many people do you need to transport (regularly and sometimes)?
  • How far do you drive regularly?
  • Are you carrying heavy loads of equipment, or goods, or construction materials?
  • What is your budget? Include maintenance costs, and be aware that EV/PEVs can have lower maintenance (There is no oil to change in an EV, for example).
  • What is your car style? Sedan, or SUV or sports car? New or used?
  • What are your priorities?

Once you’ve answered these questions, look at the EVs and PEVs and see if they fit your criteria. Do your research online. Check reviews and vehicle information sites like Carfax.com, Edmonds.com and MotorTrend.com, which gave the all-electric new Tesla S the Car of the Year Award. Mazda’s SkyACTIV, featured at the Washington Auto Show, won Green Car Journal’s Green Car Technology Award.

Test drive a few. It’s like dating — don’t fall for the first one on the first date. Drive it a few times, ask every question you can think of, and if your dealer gets antsy, find another dealer.

Bottom line: If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, take your list of priorities to the D.C. Auto Show at the Washington Convention Center through Feb. 10 and check out your options. Even if you’re not buying today or soon, it’s a great way to see what’s out there in one stop.

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Joan Michelson is CEO of Green Connections Radio and a consultant on the green economy and cleantech. She can be reached at joan@greenconnectionsradio.com.

Follow @WTOPLiving on Twitter.

(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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