Chronicles of Climate Action: A Cool Ride for the Climate

 
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The Heil household moved from owning no car on the West Coast to wanting a car, but not the fossil fuels to go with it, here on the East Coast, so this one-car family decided on a hybrid they could afford. This is our last Chronicle of Climate Action we will publish from Season 3!

Have you seen a new hybrid electric vehicle driving around Central Charlottesville? You might have passed by Home Energy Challenge participants, Ethan Heil and Caitlin Burchfield, in their 2019 Kia Niro (from team Just Chillin that sweeped the third round of the Challenge).

Ethan and Caitlin moved to Charlottesville in the winter of 2019 from San Francisco. They didn’t have a need for a car in California and made preparations to live and work in central Charlottesville to reduce dependency on a vehicle. When they decided to become a one-car household, they focused on finding a hybrid that would provide the flexibility of having an electric vehicle while also being convenient for longer trips that would rely on the gas hybrid engine.

The Heil household chose the Kia Niro due to its affordability, compared to other models on the market at the time of purchase. In addition, this make and model of hybrid was also eligible for a $4,500 federal tax credit.

They typically charge the Kia with their Level 1 charger at home, which plugs into a normal 120 volt electrical outlet. With the Level 1 charger, it takes the battery about 8 hours to get a full charge which lends a range of  25 miles of all-electric driving. This works out just fine for routine weekday travel. For weekend trips, the gas hybrid engine will kick in to offer a range of about 500 miles before they need to stop for gas or a battery charge. Overnight charging costs the Heil household about $1.00 a day in electricity costs. This is less than they would spend on gasoline and electricity is provided by solar panels on the rooftop. 

Of course, they also take advantage of Level 2 rapid chargers available at various locations around town, like the ones in front of Kardinal Hall. These chargers can fully charge the battery in about 2 hours and this particular location is free.

That’s the way to drive climate solutions home, Heil family!

For more success stories, read about the Robinson Household, Dellimore Household, Purdue Household , the McElwain Household, and the Wong Household. And if you or someone you know is interested in joining the Home Energy Challenge, contact andrea@theclimatecollaborative.org.