INDIANAPOLIS — As gas prices climbing higher with few signs of relief at the pump coming soon, many around Indiana are turning in their gas-guzzling cars in favor of electric vehicles they can charge and go.
Now, the real estate agents at F.C. Tucker have an easier option to make the switch, partnering with Motor to offer realtors and clients a subscription service for electric vehicles, an all-inclusive monthly payment to help avoid the pain at the pump.
"Everybody who's a realtor should have an electric vehicle," said Kelly Huff, an agent at F.C. Tucker and owner of Huff Homes.
Working in real estate for the past 13 years, Huff is constantly behind the wheel, driving to meet clients and checking out listings. Recently, she's made the switch from gas over to electric.
“We love it because we are driving in two, three counties a day and I start every day with a "full tank" because I plug it in at my house,” said Huff.
Huff works with her husband in the real estate business, so when F.C. Tucker began offering realtors and clients the option for an electric car subscription service, she signed right up.
“My husband and I work together in this business and we also have some gas-powered vehicles. And we’ve pretty much given them up for most projects, we’re running people around, showing houses, that sort of thing. So we are saving per car, probably about $400 to $500 a month, so about $1,000 in just gas expense,” Huff said.
They're not the only ones.
Since starting the Charging Ahead program with Motor in February, dozens of F.C. Tucker agents have signed on.
"The average American drives between 10,000-12,000 miles a year. The average realtor drives 18,000-20,000 miles a year, so we're almost double what most people are doing right now," said Connor Simonson, F.C. Tucker's corporate marketing director.
As gas prices rise, so does interest.
"Yeah, when you see it tick past $5 (per gallon), the electric car seems more and more friendly," Simonson said.
"It is very popular. We were taking off before we saw a hike in gas prices," said Rhett Barker, Motor's Indiana market lead. "But it's certainly been a pretty intense catalyst these last couple of weeks."
Barker said they're fielding calls from businesses around Indy, looking to start similar subscription services for electric vehicles and helping more Hoosiers save at the pump.
With the housing market staying hot across the country, agents and clients have to act fast, constantly hitting the road to see new listings.
For Huff, she said this small change lets her spend her days focusing on the housing market, not gas prices.
"This has changed the way we do business," Huff said.
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