Electric Vehicles
EVs produce up to 80% lower lifecycle emissions, have usable range, are cost effective and safe, need less maintenance, and are easy to charge at home and on the go.
No more getting gas
EVs have plenty of range for most daily travel, up to 200-400 miles depending on the model. EV owners never have to stop at a gas station again — they can charge up at home every night and start with a full battery to cover commutes and local travel.
When you need to travel further, utilize Maine’s large and growing fast charger network.
Depending on model and other factors, you can stop for 15-30 minutes to charge and continue your trip.
Map: EV fast charger locations in/around Maine (wrench icons are coming soon)
Drive confidently in the winter
EVs, like gas vehicles, lose some range in winter, but on average only 19%.
EVs charge and run well in extreme cold, handle great with winter tires, and can be preconditioned so they’re warm before leaving.
Norwegian Automobile Federation
Drive more safely
EVs generally perform better than ICE vehicles in crash tests and score overall higher ratings from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS).
EVs catch fire much less often than ICE vehicles—they are about 60 times less likely to catch fire than ICE vehicles. ICE vehicle fires are extremely common in the U.S. They are estimated to happen 500–600 times on average every day.
Because batteries are protected by the car’s frame, they generally will only ignite in the most severe crashes. In the rare situations when EV batteries ignite, they can be more difficult to extinguish, although they do not explode like gasoline fires.
Reduce our carbon footprint
Meeting global climate change mitigation goals will mean we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. A major portion of US emissions come from transportation. Various studies have shown that electric vehicles (EVs) produce a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions over their lifecycle compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, even considering emissions from mineral mining, vehicle production, and electricity generation. Studies show that the Earth has plenty of raw materials to support a full transition to green energy, and the emissions from mining those materials would be equivalent to less than one year of emissions from our current fossil fuel burning.
CarbonCounter.com showing ICE vehicles (black) vs. hybrid, (pink), plug-in hybrid (red) and electric (yellow) vehicles’ lifetime emissions in the state of Maine.
CarbonCounter.com, created by MIT Trancik Lab, is an excellent resource that compares the lifecycle emissions and overall cost of ownership for a large variety of car and truck models. The site shows that no ICE vehicle can meet our goals for emissions reductions by 2030, while many current EV models meet and exceed 2040 emissions goals, even taking into account emissions from vehicle and battery production, and from electricity generation. When comparing the most popular vehicle in the US, the Ford F-150, to its all electric counterpart, the Ford F-150 Lightning, it shows a similar cost of lifetime ownership, but the electric model will produce a third of the emissions over its lifecycle, and has higher performance.
See how your vehicle stacks up at CarbonCounter
Resources, Credits and Rebates
Get combined Maine and federal instant incentives up to $15k for new, $6k for used, plus help installing a home charger
There are a variety of federal and state credits and rebates available when you purchase an EV, and most are now instant and applied at the dealership. Full incentives may have income and vehicle model requirements, see the links below for more details.