Caitlin K. is a Community Affairs Manager in the Mayor’s Office and the manager of a nonprofit climate theater in Atlanta, Georgia, with the mission to lift up historically marginalized groups in comedy: Onward Theater. Although initially hesitant about the change to an electric vehicle, she decided to make the switch since she commutes for work  — and won’t be looking back. 

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I spent years thinking about switching from my gas-powered car to an electric vehicle, but I just wasn’t sure whether an EV could meet my daily needs. However, once I started a new position where I would be driving about 40 miles a day, I knew I wanted to do something to reduce my impact. So, after looking at what was available in the car market, I decided to purchase the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and have had a fantastic experience so far. 

There have been so many positives to going electric. The first is that my car is really fun to drive! Because there is a single speed transmission, I can zip around quickly, which I enjoy. There is also so much room inside because there is no transmission tunnel . The charging experience has also been a surprising positive as it doesn’t take too long, but when you are at a public charging station, you also get a minute to pause and socialize with others who are charging, too. That’s one of the ways I like how going electric is more human-centric. 

One of my initial concerns about switching to an EV was about the ability to go on road trips. Thankfully, a few weeks ago, I was able to drive from Charleston, SC, to Atlanta, GA, and really enjoyed the experience. The time we spent charging our car allowed us to stop in other towns, grab lunch, and not rush.

Speaking of charging, one great thing about our IONIQ 5 is that it comes with free charging for two years, which has made the initial transition from a gas car a breeze. After the two years are up, I will take advantage of some of the fantastic incentives that Georgia Power offers to make installing and using a charger in your home a more affordable undertaking. I encourage anyone considering an EV to look into the local and state incentives available to them to make switching to an EV even more affordable.

Even if your state doesn’t offer rebates on its own, there are federal incentives that you can take advantage of, which is what I was reliant on while I was purchasing my EV. I would love to see my state, Georgia, and others across the country, adopt more programs to incentivize EVs. 

If you have been considering switching to an EV, I really think you should!

If you have been considering switching to an EV, I really think you should! A few key pieces of advice about the process are, not to worry too much about the growing pains from the transition because I thought it would be a tougher transition and have ended up only buying one tank of gas since I purchased my EV. And, if your state currently doesn’t have rebate programs, take advantage of the federal incentives and use your story to talk to your representative about why programs should exist in your state to make buying an EV more affordable. Plus, enjoy driving in the HOV lane!

Since purchasing my EV, I have already had four friends take a spin in my electric car and share that they can’t wait to have an EV as their next car, too. I’m proud to see my decision influence my friends to transition to an EV and to know that my choices make a difference.