If you've been thinking about buying a new or used vehicle, there’s a smart financial reason to consider going electric and to act before September 30. Right now, you can still get up to $7,500 off a new electric vehicle or $4,000 off a used one. That’s real money back in your pocket. Electric vehicles (EVs) are built for our way of life; they are rugged, efficient, reliable, low-maintenance, and increasingly affordable. They make Idaho more energy independent and are a smart long-term investment.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, EVs are three to four times more efficient than gas cars. That’s because electric motors have a fraction of the moving parts, about 20, compared to over 2,000 in a gas engine. With fewer things to break, EVs have not only better efficiency but also better maintenance and reliability.
Think, no oil changes, no spark plugs, no transmission fluid and no filter changes. And, due to the regenerative braking, EVs have less wear and tear on the brakes. Your maintenance costs are going to be about 50 percent less and say goodbye to spending time at the vehicle service stations and the gas stations!
So you aren’t stopping to fill up for gas, what are you going to do? When you get home at night, when electricity rates are cheaper, you just plug your car into the charger in your garage. If it’s level two, it has the same voltage requirements as your dryer and will fill your car in four to six hours. Not only is charging your car at your home super convenient, but it also saves you time and money.
What about reliability? According to EV Design & Manufacturing, EVs have an average lifespan of around 18 years, proving they are just as durable, if not more so, than traditional vehicles. Although mechanical breakdowns are less common in EVs, apparently, EVs may face more minor issues that are often covered by warranty and easily fixed.
And yes, the upfront cost may look high, but the savings over time are real. A June 2025 report from Atlas Public Policy found that EVs almost always beat gas cars on total cost of ownership, with savings ranging from $2,000 to $8,000 over seven years. The single exception is the new Ford F-150 Lightning, which still showed a 51 percent savings on fuel and 39 percent savings on maintenance compared to the gas version.
Yes, there are lots of reasons to buy an electric car before the September 30 deadline. Are you concerned about the difficulty of actually driving one? Or do you worry about range and finding a charging station out in the wild? Come talk to EV car owners at our Annual EV Car Show at Lookout Point, Saturday, September 20, from 9 am to 1 pm. There will be private EV owners who have owned EVs for years who can answer your questions about charging stations, batteries, winter and more. Come and find out what EVs are really like.
Whether you’re looking to save money, cut maintenance hassles, or support American-made innovation and energy independence, EVs are a smart investment and a blast to drive. Come take a look on September 20. You might just be surprised by how well they fit your lifestyle.