DC Station offering workshop on financing and leasing of EVs

Electric cars charging.
Reminder Publishing file photo

NORTHAMPTON — Ten months after opening DC Station on 5 Fulton Ave., owner Bruce Volz wants people to know that the EV hub is not only a place for charging, but also education.

To accomplish this effort, DC Station will host a free workshop on buying or leasing EVs on July 11 from 1-2 p.m. inside the station building.

With hundreds of thousands of EVs coming off lease this summer, and as state incentives approach $6,000 in cash, Vols and EV Basecamp Team member Greg Goff say now may be the perfect time to purchase an EV.

The EV Basecamp exists inside the station office space and is the hub for workshops, orientations, and other educational opportunities around EVs, according to Goff.

“What I was hearing from my clients is that there was a need for more information [on EVs]. When people come to me asking about a different car they want to get, they’re almost always EV curious. I’d say over 90% of new customers. It doesn’t mean they all end up in an EV, but they want to know about it. The more I learned about how much people wanted to know, the more I learned about how much misinformation was out there,” Goff explained.

He said that many don’t realize the full capabilities of EVs after purchasing, and those without an EV are often in the dark when it comes to the incentives and value to be offered through purchasing an EV. The switch from internal combustion engine cars to EVs is a financially efficient option, according to Goff. The goal is for this upcoming workshop to help spread education on what’s possible in purchasing or financing an EV to the public.

“The deals now are kind of no-brainers if you can wrap your head around what it’s like to live with an EV day to day, and that’s I think the other thing, is really trying to get into people’s head that this is not just a couple of things you need to learn, it’s a lifestyle change going to an EV. It’s a different way of thinking about how you use your transportation and having workshops where people can just come in and ask questions and not having to search all over,” he added.

At the upcoming workshop, people will discover the ins and outs of financing and leasing electric vehicles, plus tips on how to save money in the long term, and what money is available to install a home charger. While this is a free event, Goff and Volz said that they hope to eventually find more partnerships with EV dealers. Just recently, the station hosted a “demo-day” with Rivian Automotive, an American EV manufacturer, where the dealer showcased and demonstrated some of its offerings to charging station users throughout the day.

“We’re in a neutral place. These cars, we don’t own them. I don’t care if you buy them or not, but they are here so you can try them out without a salesperson asking you when you’re going to buy it, or asking what do I need to do to get you to do this today? Having that zero-pressure, information-only space, I think, is really important for people who are curious about it,” Goff said.

Volz added, “We want to work with dealers because the goal is to get more EVs on the road, so we developed this dealer partnership program that we are starting to approach dealers about, which we think is beneficial to everybody involved … what we’re presenting to them is that we would do the orientation for a fee. They sell the car, they [the buyer] come here, and Greg spends an hour with them going through the vehicle, all the apps, charging info, so all the things that’s important about your vehicle and the EV world in general, Greg would go through in that hour.”

Goff said the workshop will offer up-to-date information in an industry where advancement continues to happen at a rapid pace.

“We figure that it could save people a lot of frustration because you’re basically buying a computer on wheels, and there is stuff to learn to make your life easier if you do it and understand what you’re doing,” said Volz.

Goff shared that he hopes those interested come out to the workshop on July 11 and are eager to learn about the pros behind leasing an EV versus a traditional car.

Since it opened, the station — named DC for Direct Current — has offered 10 fast, level 3 charging ports for electric vehicles and has space for two different businesses to open.

The space also offers users a place to grab coffee or a meal while waiting for their charge. Currently, a coffee/convenience store style business is working on securing one of the spaces, while Volz is looking for an interested business for the other space.

Both spaces in the building for businesses are 1,400-square-foot spaces.

For more information about filling an application for business space available at DC Station, email info@thedcstation.com or visit https://thedcstation.com.

Those interested in attending the workshop can sign up by visiting https://EVBasecamp.com.

Goff added he is available for one-on-one consulting around EVs through DC Station and charges $50 an hour for those who do not want to wait to attend a workshop or one of DC’s orientations that they offer. He can be reached at greg@evbasecamp.com.

Volz said he hopes to see the public take advantage of the free workshop and future educational offerings from the station.

“We started this because we believe in EVs,” said Volz. “I think even though it’s a slow start and politically things are much different than when we started, all the original issues about climate change and global warming and wanting to be more sustainable, all those factors are still relevant today, even though they don’t have the same level of discussion. EVs are something that people can do to kind of respond to those concerns.”