Are you sick of sitting in traffic on your commute to and from work? Are you tired of having to squeeze in visits to a gas station every time you realize your tank is running on empty? If you identify with either of these nuisances and are thinking about leasing or buying a new car, now may be the perfect time for you to upgrade to an electric vehicle (EV).
Judging by the ruckus raised by Tesla’s recently introduced ‘insane mode,’ some electric vehicles might sell well even if they didn’t boast a laundry list of benefits. Not all electric vehicles can go from zero to 60 in three seconds like the Tesla P85D, but most do offer a number of advantages to drivers and the environment alike. Residents of select apartments in Atlanta and Southern California, two of the nation’s largest markets for EVs, can enjoy the following conveniences after making the switch.
HOV-Lane Privileges
When rush hour traffic on freeways grinds to a halt, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes look especially attractive. Nowhere is this more true than in Los Angeles County, a sprawling metropolis infamous for having the most congested traffic in the United States. Atlanta’s traffic might not rival that in SoCal, but it does have some of the most congested traffic arteries of any big city in the country. The average Atlanta commuter wastes 51 hours a year sitting in stopped traffic.
If you want to fast-track it to work but don’t have a friend or coworker to carpool with, an electric car can make all the difference. Along with free parking in downtown locations, HOV-lane access for solo commuters is one of the perks environmentally conscious city planners and local leaders have adopted to support drivers of electric vehicles. In both California and Georgia, drivers of electric vehicles are eligible to obtain a decal that permits driving in the HOV lane without passengers in the car and free parking at meters and in garages in some downtown areas.
No Gas, Little Maintenance Required
Never needing to fill up the tank is a life-changing benefit of driving an electric vehicle. Sure, most EVs require battery charges more frequently than cars powered by internal combustion engines need fuel fill-ups. But if your EV’s range is large enough to meet your daily driving needs and you can plug your car in to charge where you park, this is a noteworthy benefit. If there’s a charging station at your parking spot, plugging your car in for a battery charge takes just seconds out of your day. You’ll never have to worry about long lines and price shocks at the pump again.
Another revolutionary time and cost-saving benefit of driving an electric vehicle is having little maintenance to worry about. These clean-running machines don’t require oil changes and other routine maintenance services. Keeping an eye on tire inflation levels, occasionally rotating your tires, and monitoring the “check engine” light is just about all the maintenance you have to worry about.
Affordable Leases
Low lease rates make leasing a new EV cheaper than buying used in many parts of the country. In January, four popular electric car models could be leased in California for 99 month or less, with down payments as low as 99. These include the 2015 Fiat 500e, 2014 Mitsubishi i MiEV, 2015 Nissan Leaf S, and 2015 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Cabriolet.
In Atlanta, the Nissan Leaf can also be leased for 99 per month. You might be expected to put ,499 down and pay another ,000 in various taxes and fees, but the cost of driving this popular electric vehicle in Georgia is still insanely low. After accounting for fuel savings, Nissan dealership representatives say, you can drive a Nissan Leaf for 8 a month.
Preferential Parking
Everyone who leases or owns an EV in Atlanta or Southern California can enjoy the aforementioned benefits, but this is where the advantage of living in a “select apartment” comes into play. Mindful of the environment, AMLI Residential strives to make green living easy and attractive for its residents. At apartment communities such as AMLI Old Fourth Ward, AMLI Ponce Park, AMLI North Point and AMLI Parkside in Atlanta ,and AMLI Lex on Orange in Glendale, Calif., you can rent a premium parking spot complete with a Level 2 (read: faster) charging station and all the electricity you can use.
Sound good? Remember these ideal charger-equipped parking spaces are only the icing on a really nice slice of cake for EV drivers in Atlanta and Southern California. Generous tax rebates, local deals, and HOV-lane access top off the environmental, geopolitical, and performance benefits of driving an EV.
What are you waiting for? If one of Tesla’s newer models is on your radar, you may find yourself going insane to get your EV back to its charger-equipped parking space.
Do you own or lease an electric vehicle? What do you think are the greatest benefits?
Like what you just read? Why not subscribe to the AMLI Blog so you don’t miss another post?
View All Posts by Jason Ernst