Electric vehicle test drive & showcase returning to Wellesley

A wide variety of electric and hybrid vehicles will be available to test drive and ogle at Wellesley’s free EV event on Sunday, Oct. 16 (2:30-5:30pm) at MassBay Community College on Oakland Street. (Rain date is Oct. 23, same hours.)

Pre-registration is required, and based on the popularity of a similar event held in Wellesley in May, you might want to sign up sooner than later if interested.

Electrical Vehicle showcase, Wellesley
A scene from the EV showcase held in May at Wellesley

 

Wellesley is encouraging more residents to go green with their vehicles as part of the town’s efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions, as outlined in its Climate Action Plan. The town itself has taken such steps through various departments, including the police and Department of Public Works, thanks to grants.

If you’re interested in a test drive at the event, you’ll need a valid driver’s license. As of Sept. 27,  the BMW i4 and iX, Chevy Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, and Tesla 3 and Y, and an Volkswagen SUV will be available for test drives.

Wellesley residents who own vehicles such as the Audi e-tron, BMW i3, and Mini Cooper Hybrid Countryman will be displaying their cars, answering questions, and boasting about their gas savings.

Various tax credits and rebates are available for buyers of electric and hybrid vehicles, which have started to fall in price but that can also be hard to get due to shortages of chips and other components. Automakers such as Ford have started to make moves to gain better control of supply chains in this promising market.

The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant offers a $96 annual electric bill credit for EV owners who charge their vehicles during off-peak hours.  The MLP has joined with Sustainable Wellesley and the Climate Action Committee to host the event.


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