In 2022, Nikki Palumbo joined the Generation180 community as a Climate Comedy Cohort fellow. After participating in a series of virtual and in-person trainings about climate and clean energy, they produced some hilarious videos about turning climate anxiety into action and calling out Big Oil.
Their involvement with climate action did not stop there. Nikki decided to take personal action to level up their clean energy advocacy and switched to an electric vehicle, a Volkswagen ID.4 Pro aptly named Heidi.4. We chatted with Nikki to learn more about their electrification journey.
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Generation180: How long have you been an EV owner?
Nikki Palumbo: It’s been a little over a year.
Gen180: Why did you decide to purchase an EV instead of a gas-powered car?
Nikki: I was privileged enough to be a member of the Generation180 and Center for Media and Social Impact Climate Comedy Cohort in 2022 (as a comedian, not a scientist, just in case that isn’t clear) and heard from so many electric vehicle owners, climate activists, and experts that it was physically/mentally/emotionally impossible for me to consider a gas-powered car when I needed a new one. To have taken in all that information and still decided to go with gas would have been like knowing all the risks of smoking cigarettes and doing it anyway — a thing I did! And this was my opportunity to not let cognitive dissonance win a second time.
Gen180: What were your initial concerns about going electric, and has being an EV owner addressed those concerns?
Nikki: I really didn’t think it’d be feasible to have an EV as a millennial, in a city, who lives in an apartment, but it is!
I really didn’t think it’d be feasible to have an EV as a millennial, in a city, who lives in an apartment, but it is!
Gen180: As an EV owner, what does your commute/daily use look like? Rural/suburban?
Nikki: I work from home, but live in LA where, sure, there are some very walkable areas but it’s pretty sprawling and some kind of vehicle is necessary. (Sidenote: Here’s where I feel obligated to say I used public transportation for the first six months I lived in LA and it was almost sustainable.) On a typical day, I drive about 15-20 miles roundtrip – just running errands, seeing friends, etc. — which gives me somewhere between 7 and 10 days worth of range before I need to charge again.
Nikki’s partner posed with their EV, named Heidi.4.
Gen180: How and where do you charge? Have you encountered any challenges around charging accessibility?
Nikki: I charge exclusively at public charging stations since I don’t have access to one at my apartment complex. I think this is still an incentive but when we got our EV, it included 3 years of free 30-minute charging sessions through Electrify America. Is it a perfect system that’s always working and there’s never a wait? No, of course not. It can be a little frustrating when I’m lower on charge than I’m comfortable with (<10%) but there’s never been a situation where I haven’t been able to charge when/where I wanted. It just takes a little patience. On a recent road trip to New Mexico, I learned that the car has a feature that will automatically reroute to a charging station if the original destination falls beyond the estimated range which was honestly a life and brainsaver. I didn’t have to panic search for a station or regret passing one; I didn’t really have to think about [charging] at all.
Gen180: During your transition to an electric vehicle, did you take advantage of any state or federal rebates or incentives available for EV purchases? If so, how important were these in your decision to purchase an EV?
Nikki: There was a rebate being offered by Volkswagen when we decided to lease – something like $7500 off upfront which kept the monthly payments pretty manageable for us.
Gen180: What advice/suggestions would you offer to other drivers in Los Angeles who are considering making the switch to an EV?
Nikki: Try to remember that patience is also a renewable energy. And it’s necessary to give yourself some grace because there’s a slight learning curve. It’s a lifestyle change! If it was SUPER easy, everyone would be doing it, no questions asked. But know that this is currently the worst the technology/process will ever be again – it only gets better from here.
Try to remember that patience is also a renewable energy. And it’s necessary to give yourself some grace because there’s a slight learning curve. It’s a lifestyle change!
Gen180: Have you influenced anyone you know to switch to an EV?
Nikki: Not necessarily influenced but around the same time we were looking for an EV, a few friends of ours were also on the hunt for a new car, so it was cool to compare notes on test drives, features, etc. They also ended up with an EV! I’ve been chipping away at my folks because my dad is a huge gadget head and I think he’d secretly love one. They live in New Jersey, so I’m less familiar with the EV landscape there but as an “eldest child,” I’m happy to take on the responsibility and figure it out for them. I do keep saying “Wow, you have a whole house where you could charge whenever you want, how lucky!” So we’ll see if that sticks.
Gen180: In addition to an EV, does your household take other clean energy actions?
Nikki: I wish I could say yes, but we’re unfortunately at the whim of a property management company that barely wants to maintain the dirty energy, you know what I mean? Our stove was broken for a little while and I thought I could convince them to replace it with an induction stove but they just sent someone out to hit it a few times. However, we are in the process of looking for a new place and have been prioritizing listings that have already installed solar.
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Nikki is based in Los Angeles, California. Follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and through their website.
