Adam Baumgartner moved to South Bend, Indiana from Chicago in 2021. South Bend is a smaller community with less public transportation than America’s third largest city, so he had to put more miles on his 2018 Subaru Crosstrek day to day.

In January 2023, Adam decided to trade the Crosstrek in for an electric vehicle. He chose a 2023 Subaru Solterra. “I looked for a brand I would feel comfortable with,” Adam says. “I knew Subaru for their reliability on the road and for their maintenance plans. It was the only car I looked at.” 

Before making the purchase, Adam did some research on charging. He lives in a multi-unit apartment building, so he wouldn’t be able to install an EV charger himself. He talked to his leasing office to see if they could help.

“The parking garage in our building has some spots with access to normal 3-prong outlets,” Adam says. For $10/month, his building lets him plug in at his parking spot with the level 1 charger that came with his Solterra. With about 30 miles of driving a day, he’s able to recharge his car overnight without trouble.

“I like that I can plug my car in like a toaster,” he jokes. 

Adam still regularly road trips to Chicago. When driving longer distances, he recommends doing some research on where there are charging stations. “I’ve had good luck with Electrify America’s stations,” he says, noting that some other company’s have had broken chargers, which can be a frustrating experience. 

For people interested in getting an EV, Adam warns that you need to pay attention to the fine print on the tax incentives. “I was surprised to learn that the Solterra didn’t qualify for the $7,500 tax credit,” he says. “If I had chosen to lease it, I would have gotten the credit.” Leasing an EV can be a good choice because of the tax loophole. Despite not getting the incentive, Adam is enjoying zipping around town in his new EV.

Editor's Note: Adam is an employee of Canopy