The weather was bright and sunny, with a crisp fall breeze when we gathered on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the First Christian Church in Kent, Ohio for an EVA EV Showcase during a Kent Environmental Council (KEC) meeting.
About 45 people were present to ask about cars, hear a presentation by Joseph Ortiz from EVA of Ohio about electrification and a primer on EV ownership. There were students from Kent State University, passersby who stopped in see the EVs on display, and talk to members of EVA, KEC, and the the First Christian Church. Participants were surprised to learn that hybrid vehicles with gas and electric powertrains are much more likely to be involved in fires than battery electric vehicles, and that used EVs are now less expensive than comparable fossil fuel cars. Rich Charles of EVA of Ohio brought his “new to him” EV to display at the event and was able to illustrate that point with a local example.
“Last week, I purchased a used 2026 Blazer RS AWD EV with 8,433 miles for $36,995. For comparison, I found two used 2026 Blazer RS AWD ICE models: one priced at $41,448 with 12,105 miles and another at $44,564 with 6,956 miles. That makes the ICE versions about $4,000 to $7,000 more expensive—roughly a 13% premium,” Charles said. “Regarding 2026 models, a new Blazer RS EV carries about a 7% premium over a comparable Blazer RS ICE model (EV MSRP: $53,500; ICE MSRP: $49,995).”
Another topic of discussion during the event was the 90-day, gas tax holiday in Ohio. EV owners are now the only drivers paying in full to support road maintenance. The gas tax holiday is not a viable solution to the long-term rise in gasoline prices. Variable pricing around the state suggests that not all of the gas tax savings are being passed along to consumers. And due to the program there will be more than $700 million in road maintenance costs that will need to be taken from elsewhere in the state budget. If you want a long-term solution to the high cost of fossil fuels, switching to an EV will get you off the gas price rollercoaster.
