New incentives might help put an electric vehicle in your garage

Electric vehicles have a long ways to go to overcome their fossil-fuel cousins, but they’re becoming more popular.

Two million EVs were sold worldwide last year, with more than a third of a million sold in he United States, but that amounts to only about 2% of total vehicle sales.

Despite most of us commuting only a few miles every day, range is still the greatest concern for someone considering the purchase of a pure-electric vehicle, especially in the wide open spaces of outstate Nebraska. Another is the added up-front cost of an electric vehicle, and the equipment to charge it at home.

The folks who supply electricity are getting together with environmental interests to help reduce those concerns.

The Nebraska Public Power District and Nebraska Community Energy Alliance and Nebraska Environmental Trust to make it easier for consumers to buy and operate electric vehicles.

Money from the Nebraska lottery will be channeled through the Nebraska Environmental Trust for three incentive programs.

One offers $500 for a ChargePoint home charging station with wireless internet connectivity and $4,000 toward the purchase of a vehicle.

Another program offers $500 for a home charging station and another one offers $100 for pre-wiring for the installation of a residential EV charging station in the future.

NPPD will be working with auto dealers and home builders to promote those incentives.

Many of us would be surprised to see how big a portion of our daily travels could easily be achieved with even a short-range electric vehicle.

With most families having more than one car, perhaps one of them could be an EV for short trips, the other for long-range treks.

Check out the new incentive programs and see if one of them might make a difference in the purchase of your next vehicle: http://bit.ly/2XlxC0X