Summer is here, meaning more people are on the road into and out of town. Whether it’s getting around town to meet up with friends, catch the latest Hollywood blockbuster, have some dinner with a special someone, or simply taking time away from the hustle of your daily life, how you get there is almost as important as what you do.

Getting Around Town

How you get around town depends significantly on what you’re doing and how much time you have to get there.

Public Transportation: Public transportation eliminates a large swath of traffic, which is a significant contributor to harmful greenhouse gasses, but with public transportation, it takes a little longer to get where you need to be.

Biking: Depending on the distance you need to travel, consider biking to work or wherever. Biking is a green way to get where you need to go, and if you have to travel extreme distances, you can combine biking and public transportation.

Rideshare: After a night on the town, don’t drive. Instead, consider using rideshare. With rideshare, you can choose to have a driver pick you and your party up or combine with other people to share the ride, almost like a personalized public transportation service.

If you just have to drive your own vehicle around town, the differences between gas and electric can be any starker.

Gas vs Electric Vehicles

As more and more people are switching to electric vehicles (EV), the debate of which is a better way to get around, gas or electric, is heating up.

Gas and electric vehicles have distinct differences, from access to fuel stations, upfront costs to purchase each type of car, and maintenance and repair costs.

Getting Fueled Up: With traditional gas-powered cars, your access to fuel stations is on almost every corner. The downside is the amount of pollution that internal combustion engines create.

And with the recent infrastructure bill passed in Congress, the earmark for electric charging stations will expand the number of fuel stations around the country. In fact, in California, we already see plenty of new Tesla charger stations and EV chargers in most major cities.

Upfront Cost Of EVs: Gas-powered cars are also more affordable the first time and resale value than electric vehicles, but there are some sneaky advantages to owning an EV.

The costs to purchase electric cars are a little higher, but the benefits far outweigh those upfront costs. Between a lower fuel price and tax incentives, the cost of owning an electric car ends up being less than a traditional gas vehicle.

A combination of local, state, and federal tax credits and rebates can lower the ticket price of an electric vehicle to be priced lower than a traditional gas-powered model. Federally, EVs may be eligible for up to $7,500, while California offers an additional $4,500 in tax credits.

Mechanical problems: When the check engine light comes on with a gas-powered car, it may mean an expensive trip to the mechanic. A blown gasket can cost anywhere from $1,000 to completely ruining your engine, having to pay to replace it. With an EV, there are much fewer maintenance costs as fewer moving parts can wear down or break.

As EVs become more popular and government programs incentivize the public to buy them and invest in critical infrastructure, with gas prices continuing to climb, it only makes sense to go electric.

Often, the more distressed a car, the more harmful emissions it has. On the other hand, EVs have zero emissions regardless of the engine’s status or other internal operations.

Whether it’s summer, winter, spring, or fall, getting around town to get to work, meet up with friends and family, or even to school or other essential activities, how you get to your destination is as important as what you’re about to do.

Saving money in the short term by buying a gas-powered car may save you some money, but with rising gas prices and incentives for consumers to go electric, driving a gas-powered vehicle may be seen in the same light as smoking on an airplane. It’s something that people used to do and seems odd nowadays.