Three Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying an EV in Georgia
Written by Jay Horton
A little over a month into my new role at Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), I made the decision to purchase an Electric Vehicle (EV). To be precise, a 2023 Nissan Leaf SV which I’ve since named Levi, the Leaf. While this was certainly not my initial plan, my old Hyundai Sonata Hybrid needed some significant repairs, and I thought if I was going to switch to an EV anytime soon, now was as good a time as any.
Before acquiring Levi I knew very little about EVs and frankly did not do much homework. I knew that I could save money on gas, potentially get a tax credit or two, and cut my carbon footprint. During this process though, I learned a lot more. Here are three things I wish I knew before buying my EV in Georgia
1: Tax Credits
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, I was correct that there are a series of tax credits now available for individuals who purchase new or used EVs.
For the purchase of a new EV between 2023-2032, for personal use, the tax credit may be as high as $7,500. The credit for used EVs purchased during the same time period equals 30 percent of the sale price up to a maximum credit of $4,000. However, these are only federal tax credits. Unfortunately, to my disappointment, there are no more state tax credits available for EVs in Georgia.
Also, be aware, these are only available for vehicles produced by qualified manufacturers and undergo final assembly in North America. There are also modified gross income limits, vehicle weight limits, and critical mineral and battery size requirements. You should check out the International Revenue Service (IRS) website before purchasing as well as the United State Department of Energy Fuel Economy Website.
I got lucky and Levi qualifies for the federal tax credit because he was put into service before an April 18 decision by the Biden Administration to tighten battery-sourcing rules. However, Nissan Leafs, in general, now do not meet the battery and critical mineral requirements, so do your research! Ford, Volkswagon, Chevrolet, and Rivian (which is building a plant in Georgia), all have EV models that qualify for the federal tax credit.
2: Charging
There are three common types of EV chargers: levels one, two, and three. All new EVs come with a level-one charger that may be plugged into a standard home outlet. However, as I learned, my 1950s ranch did not have the necessary voltage coming to its outdoor outlets to sufficiently charge Levi. Also, there are few EV charging stations within walking distance of my office.
Consequently, this meant I had to call an electrician to install a level-two charger. This cost me around $1800 in unexpected capital but was definitely worth it because I no longer have to worry about finding charging stations during the week.
On average, I have to charge Levi every three-four days. He charges completely overnight and has a range of 250 miles on a full charge. I have not noticed my electric bill going up at all, which is probably because I only charge during Georgia Power’s Super Off-Peak Hours, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. My EV, and almost all EVs come with a feature that will allow you to set a charge timer on the car and only charge the vehicle when power is the cheapest.
Level three chargers are rare in public and few are found in residences. However, a level three charger could charge Levi in 45 minutes and are great on road trips. During a routine stop for lunch or dinner, I could easily fill up his battery and be back on my merry way.
3: Registration Fees
While you no longer have to pay for gas or oil changes as an EV owner, you do have to pay ridiculously high license registration fees. I was blindly unaware of this fact before purchasing Levi. In fact, Georgia has the second-highest license registration fee in the United States at $210.87 for non-commercial EVs. This is compared to the $20 registration fee for gas guzzlers.
In addition, earlier this year the Georgia state legislature passed a law requiring public charging stations to collect a tax on electricity used. This is a double tax for EV owners and disincentivizes EV purchasing in Georgia. If you find this as appalling as I do, contact your legislator today at gipl.org/gaaction.
Ultimately, would I change my decision to purchase an EV? No!
Would I have done more research about the make and model I purchased, as well as my regular access to charging stations? Absolutely!
EVs are certainly the sustainable future of transportation, but we have a long way to go before we have all the infrastructure and legislation to support mass electric transit. Faith communities can help though by working to install EV charging stations on their properties, subsidizing charging costs, and contacting their elected officials to let them know you support just incentives for EVs.
Congregations that install charging stations on their properties not only support EV purchases in their local community, they also minister to people invested in green technologies traveling through the area. GIPL may help congregations that are interested in installing EV chargers on their campuses by connecting them with vetted installers and financing options. Not all EV chargers need to be purchased outright. If you are interested in learning more about our EV Charging program, contact our Program Director, Hannah Shultz, at hannah@gipl.org.
