EV Incentives - How to Earn Free Electric Vehicle Miles for Your Car
Updated: Nov 4, 2022
There Are Many Ways To Earn Free Electric Vehicle Miles!
There are numerous methods for earning extra miles on your car, truck, or SUV. Some people use apps that track their driving habits and award bonus miles. Others enroll in programs that provide free gas if they drive a certain number of miles each month. On the other hand, others purchase unique stickers that alert other drivers that they are driving an electric vehicle.
How Much Can I Save Just By Owning An EV?
Several factors determine the cost of charging an electric vehicle. How frequently should you charge the vehicle? How much power does an electric vehicle consume? What is the cost of electricity in your area?
The frequency with which your EV requires charging is determined by how far you intend to drive it. If you're going on a long road trip, you'll need to make more charging stops than if you're just running errands close to home. The average cost of electricity in the United States is $0.12 per kWh. At that rate, someone who drives their electric vehicle 15,000 miles per year will pay about $540 per year, or $45 per month, to power it. This results in significant savings, as driving a gas-powered car over the same yearly distance would cost around $1,400 in fuel costs.
The cost of charging your EV can also vary depending on where you charge it. For EV owners, at-home charging is a huge convenience. Rather than stopping at a gas station, you can charge your car at home. When you use your home charger, you are paying for the electricity required to charge the car.
Free EV Miles Through Utility-Led Incentives
Today, 44 utility companies in the United States offer discounted rates, rebates, or other incentives for EV implementation, a significant increase from the 28 companies that offered such programs in 2015. Furthermore, there are over 200 utility companies that offer time-of-use rates for similar incentives and to make intelligent charging of EVs more affordable and efficient.
The Reason Behind The Implementation Of Utility-Led Incentives
The United States has recognized the advantages of low-cost, low-emission renewable energy sources such as electric vehicles (EV). EVs are the most visible and fastest-growing example of renewables' momentum, providing a slew of advantages to consumers, businesses, utilities, and the environment. With utilities incentivizing consumers and states and the federal government supporting the rise of EVs, it is critical to understand the wide range of incentives available and the extent to which these programs are implemented.
Despite states and the federal government increasing their efforts to incentivize the use of renewable energies, these incentives occur at the time of purchase or installation and take the form of a rebate or tax credit, which is frequently less than $7500. As a result, such policies do not affect utility prices, making charging more expensive and serving as a disincentive to the use of EVs for a long time. With credits, rebates, and off-peak, time-of-use rates becoming more common, utilities have taken it upon themselves to alleviate this burden and accelerate the adoption of EVs in their coverage zones.
Rebates & “Get Your Own Charger” Programs
Some companies are collaborating to bring you a valuable EV rewards program with restrictions applied only to residents of specific locations. By agreeing to charge your EV only overnight and on weekends, you can get up to 175 miles of free EV driving per month or up to 2,100 miles per year. Simply schedule your car to charge at certain times (for example: between 9 p.m. and 12 p.m. on weekdays) and finish the enrollment process to begin earning free EV miles.
When EV owners enroll in a participating company's rewards program, rebates are offered to help offset the cost of installing some or all components of a system for higher speed charging of an electric vehicle at your home. The rebate may be used to pay for the services of a licensed electrician, as well as electrical and charging equipment, to install charging system components.
Some eligibility requirements can be one or more of the following:
Buying or leasing an EV, either a battery electric vehicle (BEV) that runs entirely on electricity or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that runs entirely on electricity but can also switch to a gas/electric hybrid mode;
Having a residential electric account with the participating company through which you charge your EV;
Residents will be charged at the program's specified levels; and/or
Number of EVs in a household or the maximum number of EVs that can be enrolled.
Electric Vehicles With Free (Complimentary) Charging
Most long-range EVs include some form of free charging.
Electric vehicles are generally more expensive than gasoline vehicles, but local and federal governments have implemented incentives to reduce the cost for new buyers and lessees. To sweeten the deal, even more, EV manufacturers provide benefits that can reduce ownership costs. Most compellingly, as the EV wars heat up, automakers are increasingly offering free charging. Check out below for a list of every new EV that offers free electric charging as of this writing:
Audi e-Tron GT
Audi e-Tron and Q4 e-Tron
BMW i4 and iX
Cadillac Lyriq
Ford Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and E-Transit
Genesis GV60
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Hyundai Ioniq Electric and Kona Electric
Kia EV6
Lucid Air
Mazda MX-50
Mercedes-Benz EQS and EQE
Nissan Ariya
Nissan Leaf
Polestar 2
Porsche Taycan
Rivian R1T and R1S
Toyota bZ4X
Participating utility companies in this program include:
Electrify America
EVgo
ChargePoint
Rivian Adventure Network for DC fast charging
Rivian Waypoints Network for Level 2 charging
Conclusion:
Owning an electric vehicle can bring so many benefits and can easily save you money as opposed to owning a gas-fueled car. With so many options available to get free mileage for your electric vehicle, whether through your local utility company or online, you can experiment to see what works best for you!