EV driver sings joys of going gas-free

Sales remain sluggish, though, as consumers weigh pros and cons.

Just as it approached the West End Mall, Steve Epstein’s 2017 Chevy Bolt reached a major milestone. The rideshare driver timed the momentous event — the car’s odometer rolling higher — to coincide with his arrival at the Drive Electric Earth Day Atlanta EV Car Show.

“It happened,” he announced triumphantly, “250,000.”

Epstein, 69, has been an advocate for electric vehicles since 2016 when he attended a Clean Energy Road Show in Cobb County. That was his first time seeing the Nissan Leaf. His first time riding in a Tesla. He’s passionate about a green economy and believes EVs are

good way to go, particularly for ride-share drivers.

This week, in recognition of the 54th annual Earth Day, it seemed like a good time to share Epstein’s evangelism. Across the globe, people marked April 22 as a time to recommit to protecting the environment.

Epstein’s first EV was a hybrid, which ran on both gas and electricity. He drove it for

couple of years before deciding he wanted to go fully electric. Now he chats up his riders, offering information and education as a self-proclaimed ambassador of EVs.

But he may have a long road ahead of him, given recent headlines about sluggish EV sales. Even in Georgia, a rising hub for EV production, the demand for electric vehicles has slowed.

It has been almost decade since I wrote a story about Georgia ending its tax cred

aaaSteve Epstein has racked up 250,000 miles on his electric vehicle, a 2017 Chevy Bolt, and has since adjusted his sign to reflect the milestone. Epstein, a ride-share driver, says EVs are a sensible option for anyone, but market growth in Georgia and beyond has slowed a bit over the past few years.