# First Time Electric Car Owner? Here’s How to Adapt! - Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/12/first-time-electric-car-owner-heres-how-to-adapt/ - Published: 2020-12-13T17:37:29-05:00 - Author: greenlivingguy Okay, you took the plunge and now you have a brand new electric vehicle. Maybe it’s a Tesla, maybe the new Mercedes crossover, or maybe you went with the big boys, and you splurged on the cool looking Porche Taycan.  The brand doesn’t matter, all that it’s important to you are the changes that you have to make in order to adjust your day to day with your brand new electric vehicle. So, a thought must be lingering in your head ever since you made the first payment. Was it a mistake?  Well, the short answer is “no.” Most countries in Europe and both the United States and Canada are rapidly advancing their infrastructure to suit electric vehicles more and more. That means, for the most part, you won’t have to make many changes to your daily routine—just slight adjustments.  #### But we know you’re already eager to take out the car for a drive, so let’s get started straight with the article and not waste any more time. ![Lithium metal electric car demand boosts companies](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy. com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/img_1139.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=89&ssl=1 "Lithium Metal: Electric Car Demand Boosts Companies - The Green Living Guy") A 220-volt charging plug recharges the Nissan Leaf [electric car outside Nissan Motor](https://greenlivingguy.com/2008/03/motorized-surfboard-venice-electric/) Co.’s headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010. Nissan Motor Co. aims to deliver 20,000 battery-powered Leaf vehicles to U.S. drivers in the first year. The car travels as far as 100 miles on a full charge of its lithium- ion batteries. Photographer: Mark Elias/Bloomberg Exploring and getting familiar with the charging stations that are near your house and work is super important. Okay, so let’s say you went with the safer route and [you purchased a Tesla](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/07/cnbc-reports-tesla-going-sp-500-folks/). The very first thing that you have to do is to find the [Tesla supercharger map](https://www.plugshare.com/map/supercharger) for your city and note the charging stations that are closest to your home, your workplace and must mention the supermarket where you get your groceries from.  See, living with an [electric car](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/08/bentley-exp-15-ev-concept-debuts-at-monterey-car-week/) shouldn’t mean spending forty minutes every week just to juice the batteries. As long as you plan properly and combine different activities, you can charge your car and do something else in the meantime. Like charge your car and spend the time doing your weekly grocery shopping, or hit the gym (of course only if your gym has a charging station at the parking lot).  ### Plan ahead, and for the most time, you may not even have to spend a minute sitting on your driver’s seat waiting for the car to charge.  Invest in a home charger, as it’s going to save you so much time as you use the car daily.  And while we’re on the topic of spending time charging your car, we should also make a note about investing in a home car charger. See, charging, in the United States at least, is fairly inexpensive.  To charge your Tesla to 100%, it would cost you around $15 USD. Of course, this price would vary depending on how expensive electricity per kW/hr is where you live, but it shouldn’t be a huge gap.  Do the math, research how much it’s going to cost you to install it, and then make your mind. If you think installing a home charging station is worth it, then install one. You’ll definitely save on time.  Depending on where you live (both country and state wise) you might be eligible for a tax break because you own and drive an [electric vehicle](https://greenlivingguy.com/2022/01/vision-eqxx-taking-electric-range-and-efficiency-to-an-entirely-new-level/). Definitely one of the coolest things that come with driving an electric vehicle is the fact that depending on where you live and where you’re from you [might have tax breaks](https://www.energysage.com/electric-vehicles/costs-and-benefits-evs/ev-tax-credits/). #### See, when you’re driving an electric vehicle, you are not polluting the air, resulting in much fewer greenhouse gasses. So, countries encourage people to buy battery-powered cars with tax breaks.  For example, if you’re among the first two hundred thousand people who get an electric vehicle, you’re eligible for a $7,000 tax refund (as long as it’s not a Tesla). So, one of the best things that you can do is research if you are exempt from certain taxes.  Keep a hoodie in your car, especially if you live in a northern state or country where the temperatures get colder. Finally, it’s important to keep a hoodie in your car. Why? Well, one thing that  all people who drive an electric vehicle know that in order to get the most amount of mileage out of your batteries, it’s best to turn the AC off. Well, if you’re living in Los Angeles for example, you can easily crack a window, but if you’re in Canada in January, you’d want to have a hoodie in your car.  So, what’s the easiest thing that you can do? Well, throw in a warm hoodie on the backseat for you to use when you need it. And if you say “well, I’ll just stop and charge” think if it’s really worth it to spend forty minutes at a charging station if you’re just about to arrive. ![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df91669667126e1290c21ee0342c386e2da19d588d4d9ca6560bd82ed59a9641? s=300&d=monsterid&r=g) greenlivingguy The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living expert, and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author, Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and an Environmental Consultant on green living. The Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides and more. Seth's books range from: # Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions) # Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle by Seth Leitman # Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel # Green Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky # Solar Power For Your Home by David Findley # Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke # Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley # Build Your Own Small Wind Power System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea # and more green living books to follow. [See Full Bio](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/) [ ](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenlivingguy/)