Helped a family save $7,200 on a Model Y last month. They almost made every mistake in the book.

Here are the 3 biggest ones I see over and over:

1. Ignoring the lease vs. buy math

Most people default to buying. But right now, leasing certain EVs lets you access the $7,500 federal tax credit as a point-of-sale discount — even if you wouldn't qualify as a buyer. On some models, leasing is $200/month cheaper than financing.

2. Not stacking state + local incentives

The federal credit gets all the attention, but most states have their own rebates. Some utilities offer $500-$2,000 on top of that. I've seen families leave $3,000-$5,000 on the table because they didn't know these existed.

3. Buying at the wrong time

End of quarter, end of model year, and when new inventory hits the lot — these are when dealers are most flexible. Buying on a random Tuesday in March? You're paying sticker.

I built ChargeSmart to help families navigate all of this. If you're thinking about going electric, join up — it's free.