By the Bronxville Green Committee

April 19, 2023: On Saturday, April 29 from 10 a.m. until noon, all are welcome at the Eastchester Public Library parking lot at 11 Oakridge Place for a lively exhibition of electric vehicles of all kinds.  Hosted jointly by the sustainability committees of Eastchester, Tuckahoe, and Bronxville, this event is your chance to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about EV cars, buses, and police vehicles. Information about public and private charging stations and incentives offered by New York State and local electric utilities will also be available.

This event is free and will be fun for the whole family!  Kids can clamber aboard an electric Bee-Line bus and charge their devices on it.  They can get up close with Westchester County’s 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E all-electric police patrol car, which has been fully fitted for action and resides in Mt. Kisco.  Enthusiastic private owners will show off the latest EV models, including Chevy BOLT, Tesla, Volkswagen, Rivian, and BMW, Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid, and Kia Sorrento Plug-In Hybrid.  In some cases, you’ll even be able to take a test drive! 

Representatives from companies that make and install charging stations, including Blink, FLO, and ChargePoint, will offer information about public and home charging stations and onsite electricians will explain what you will need in the way of electrical upgrades, if any, to make charging at your home cheap and easy. Staff from Bronxville and Tuckahoe village governments will also be available to answer questions about public charging stations within their municipal borders, including locations and fees.   

Representatives from NYSERDA, NYPA, ConEd and ConEd Smart Charge will discuss their programs and incentives--all to encourage us to make the transition to energy smart transportation.

We’re Charged Up About EVs!

Nation-wide, transportation accounts for the largest source of the emissions that cause climate change. Here in Bronxville, it’s a different story—in baseline year 2018, only 18.5% of our community’s emissions came from transportation.  (Most come from heating and cooling our buildings.)  Still, shockingly, in our one square mile, in 2018 all vehicles traveling in and through Bronxville accrued almost 23 million miles!  When you consider that no highways pass within Bronxville’s borders, this is a staggeringly huge number, especially for a Village that’s called a “walkable” community. 

Today, there are more reasons than ever to consider purchasing an EV.  Ranges of 250 miles and more and the increasing availability of charging stations are removing the “range anxiety” associated with EV ownership.  EVs come with an app that alerts drivers to the locations of nearby charging stations.  Increasingly, new models offer adaptors that allow them to use Tesla charging stations, which in some spots are most readily available.  Saving money on gas and maintenance, experiencing cleaner air, and the growing variety of EV makes and models to choose from are all making EV ownership more attractive.

As the electric grid becomes increasingly “clean,” powered by wind, hydro, and solar, the emissions associated with operating an EV will continue to fall. Eventually, they’ll reach zero! Plus, people love driving EVs, citing their smooth, quiet, zippy ride. 

Tax credits offered through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—up to $7500 for qualifying EVs and $4000 on a used EV—make them more affordable. But recent changes to the federal program mean you’ll need to dig a little deeper to make sure you and your choice of vehicle qualify. 

Find out about the most recent federal IRA incentives HERE.

Find out about New York State incentives HERE.

Check out Bedford2030’s EV tools to learn the benefits of switching from your current vehicle to an EV. You may be surprised by what you discover!

Your Next Car?

How to reduce our emissions from transportation remains a challenge—and switching to EVs can be a big part of the solution. You’ve read about EVs, maybe admired a neighbor’s EV.  But nothing beats seeing them for yourself! Join us in Eastchester on April 29^th and if you can’t make it CONTACT US for more information!

The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. We work to propose and implement environmentally sustainable programs in our community.