ALBUQUERQUE, NM – More than 500 people came out to Northeast Albuquerque this weekend for the PNM Electric Vehicle Drive event.
For many people, this was the first time they got behind the wheel of an electric vehicle.
“It was my first attempt, I’ve been researching it a bit. I’m trying to get into the Rivian, that’s the newest and hottest,” Deandre Montoya said. This weekend might have been his only chance for a while.
“The goal is to allow customers to experience electric vehicles right now. In Albuquerque, Santa Fe and the surrounding areas, it can be difficult to test drive electric vehicles because dealers don’t have inventory. So we wanted to give customers the opportunity to try it,” said John Williamson, director of the program.
But it was more than just a driving event, PNM also let customers know they could get up to $500 back if they installed a charger in their home.
“That also enrolls them in the household electric vehicle tariff, or the overnight charging rate, to really encourage them to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours. So that’s about 3 cents per kilowatt-hour, so that’s quite advantageous,” Williamson said.
But the rebates offered by PNM may be the only credit New Mexicans are eligible for for a while.
This year, the legislation’s tax package included a tax break for electric vehicle owners, but that break, along with others dealing with greener energy, was vetoed when the bill came to the floor. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk.
While PNM is pushing for charging stations to go into homes, they have no plans to add any on the road.
“PNM is not actually installing them and has no plans to own and operate them. They are all privately owned, what PNM is trying to do is encourage the number of electric vehicle chargers in the market,” he said. said Williamson.
And encourage the number of electric vehicles in New Mexico.
“These kinds of events help people see what it’s like to drive an electric, how the performance works.”
“It’s also nice because it helps dispel misconceptions about electric vehicles.”
If you missed today’s event, don’t worry, PNM looks forward to working to host another electric car show in Santa Fe in the fall of 2023.
