By Nicole Green, Sustainable Woodstock Board Co-Chair
The two DC fast charging stations on the Woodstock side of the Bridgewater Mill are now live. Photo by TRORC.
Gas prices in Vermont have hovered near $4.50 a gallon this year, and more of our neighbors are asking the same question: is it time to go electric? Nearly 21,000 electric vehicles are now on Vermont roads, a 12% jump over the past year, and one in ten new vehicles registered in the state last year had a plug. If you’ve been curious but unsure where to start, here’s some basic information on EV costs and the incentives available to Woodstock-area residents right now.
The cost math is changing fast
The biggest surprise for most people is how cheap driving electric has become. On average, powering an EV in Vermont costs the equivalent of about $1.75 a gallon — and drivers who charge at home during off-peak hours, or who receive utility bill credits, often pay closer to $1 a gallon equivalent. Over five years, a driver charging at home on a discounted overnight rate can save roughly $5,300 in fuel costs compared with a gas-powered car.
The used-EV market has also matured. As of this spring, pre-owned EVs made up 45% of all newly registered electric vehicles in Vermont — the highest share on record — which means going electric no longer requires a new-car budget.
Incentives
Vermont doesn’t offer one single statewide rebate, but it makes up for that with a patchwork of utility and state-supported programs that can often be combined:
- Green Mountain Power, which serves much of the Woodstock area, offers purchase incentives on new and used EVs that vary by income and vehicle type, with income-qualified customers eligible for additional rebates.
- You can view other utilities’ incentives at https://www.efficiencyvermont.com/rebates/list/electric-vehicles
One note of caution: the federal EV tax credit has been phased out under last year’s federal budget legislation, and the federal home-charger credit expired this summer. That makes state and utility-level incentives more important than ever — and more likely to shift, so always confirm current details with your utility or with Drive Electric Vermont (driveelectricvt.com) before you buy.
Charging basics
Most EV owners do the bulk of their charging at home overnight using a Level 2 charger, similar to an electric dryer outlet. Vermont’s public charging network has also grown quickly: the state now has 537 public chargers, a 16% increase in the past year, including 100 fast chargers capable of charging most EVs in 20 to 45 minutes — useful for longer trips around the Upper Valley or beyond.
Several utilities offer time-of-use electricity rates that reward charging overnight, and some offer a free home charger and a monthly bill credit in exchange for letting the utility manage charging times during peak demand periods.
You can see a map of public chargers in Vermont here: https://www.driveelectricvt.com/charging/map. In our area, we have public fast chargers at the Bridgewater Mall, made possible by a grant written by Harry Falconer, Woodstock’s Shared Energy Coordinator (SEC).
Is an EV right for you?
For most daily driving — commuting, errands, school runs — a modern EV comfortably covers the distance on a single charge, and range has been improving steadily across models. The calculation looks a little different for households without off-street parking, or those who regularly tow or drive long distances without charging access, so it’s worth thinking through your own routines before committing.
Where to go next
If you’re weighing an EV purchase, reach out to Sustainable Woodstock at info@sustainablewoodstock.org — we’re happy to point you toward current incentive lists, upcoming info sessions, or other local drivers willing to share what they’ve learned.
Sustainable Woodstock is a volunteer-driven nonprofit serving Woodstock, Pomfret, Barnard, Reading, Bridgewater, Brownsville, Hartland, and Hartford. Learn more at sustainablewoodstock.org.