Reason #6 to Drive Electric

Melanie Needle, Burlington, Vermont

Reason #6 to Drive Electric: Sharing Your Experience

Melanie’s favorite part of having an electric vehicle (EV) is talking with people throughout her day about the car and demonstrating how it works. She is the mother of two preschool-age children and since replacing their 11-year-old Subaru with a Nissan Leaf, she has daily conversations and “demos” of the Leaf in the preschool parking lot. The kids think it is really cool that the car plugs in just like a toaster and that it is good for the environment. Their parents are first surprised that the car is really all electric and that EVs are available with lease prices around $200/month. Some parents have said that they are considering purchasing an EV, and teachers have even started referring to a ride in Melanie’s car as “being Leafed to school”. Melanie also works at the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission on climate action planning. One of her focuses is to develop strategies for people to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.  

Melanie says, “I love that I’m able to integrate my work on climate change into my daily life and educate others about EV technology.”