Charge Your Electric Car in Saratoga

There's no doubt Californians love their cars. The Golden State accounts for almost 10 percent of all car sales in the country, The Wall Street Journal reported recently.

If you're in the market for an electric vehicle, you'll certainly have your pick. With its laws incentivizing car manufacturers to go green, California has driven the push for eco-friendly transportation. 

Electric vehicles can provide up to three times the power conversion compared to their gas-powered counterparts and boast an engine that operates more quietly and requires less maintenance, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. To top it off, buying an eco-friendly car can net you a federal tax credit of up to $7,500.

Though electric cars are more energy-efficient, you can still travel up to three times as far in some internal-combustion vehicles. Another thing to consider is electric car batteries are expensive to replace and can take up to eight hours to charge.

Several car manufacturers offer eco-friendly vehicles, including Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Ford, Nissan, Tesla and Toyota.

Some manufacturers are establishing their own charging stations hoping to lure potential customers. Tesla has built a network of six solar-powered charging stations from L.A. to San Francisco, according to Car and Driver.

Whether you're looking to buy an electric car or you already own one, Santa Clara County is full of service stations—including eight in Saratoga—that will keep you charged for your emissions-free commute.   

In June, Saratoga installed four chargers at City Hall, two at the library, and two in Saratoga Village.

Usage is up: in September, 281.609 kilowatt hours were used ($93.03) versus 221.611 kilowatt hours in August ($76.68), according to Debbie Bretschneider, executive assistant to Saratoga City Manager Dave Anderson. That’s 44 charges last month versus 31 the month before.

It costs 1 per hour to charge your vehicle in Saratoga and San Jose. It's free in Mountain View, Palo Alto, Redwood City, Campbell and Portola Valley.

Other South Bay communities charge the following:

• $2.50 per 24 hours – Los Gatos
• $0.50 per hour – Los Altos Hills
• $1.50 per hour – Cupertino
• $2 per hour – Stanford University