By Julia Kearsley

There was a time when electric vehicles started to become more mainstream. Suddenly, everyone wanted one—but the kicker was the price tag. There was no way the average person could afford to switch to an electric vehicle. And since they couldn’t travel very far without needing a charge, and there were limited charging stations around, it meant road-trippers had to keep dreaming.

Back then, I had written them off—it just wasn’t a vehicle that would fit my lifestyle. And for the longest time, it was the same for a lot of people. We were all conscious of the harm our gas-powered vehicles were doing to the planet, but the alternative option didn’t work for our lives.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized getting an EV could be a possibility for me. I began noticing more charging stations popping up everywhere. More of the car companies I knew and loved began developing their own electric vehicles with competitive pricing. The technology improved—and EVs could travel longer distances without a charge. Not to mention the charging time significantly decreased. At this point, I became re-interested as I saw that maybe an EV could actually fit into my lifestyle.

Fast forward to today—I recently teamed up with National Grid to learn more about their initiative to enable the deployment of charging stations across Massachusetts. During this project, I drove an EV for the day, testing out different charging stations and stopping at some of my favorite places around where I grew up, like Three Pugs Creamery in Wrentham. As a thank you to the community, National Grid treated everyone after me to ice cream so visitors could enjoy their sweet treat on the house. The employees working there were so lovely and excited to let their customers know that their ice cream would be covered that day. I was also able to share some of the latest incentives for those interested in an EV of their own.

Not only did I absolutely fall in love with how smooth and quiet my drive was during my trip, but I was shocked by how long the battery lasted. And when I did need a charge, I was baffled by how many charging stations now exist and how straightforward it was to charge the vehicle. Finding a charging station was as easy as finding a gas station, if not easier. All the concerns I had about purchasing an EV in the past were no longer issues.

I’m a person who, like most people, fears big lifestyle changes, but I seriously plan on switching to an electric vehicle. Since teaming up with National Grid, my significant other and I have been incorporating purchasing an EV into our future plans and goals. We’re sold. And the fact that we would be buying something that is helping our planet—makes me even more confident that I want an EV.

I now see why people keep saying that electric vehicles are the future. I’m beyond pleased to see so many companies, like National Grid, working to make this future more accessible to everyone. It’s missions like theirs that will help us fight climate change and ultimately protect our beautiful planet.