'At what point does it make sense to ditch a gas car for an electric vehicle?'

Guadalupe Higuera stands in front of trucks being repaired at his family's shop in Phoenix. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption

PHOENIX – Rising gasoline prices have some Americans thinking about buying an electric vehicle . It's a big financial decision, especially since Republicans ended federal subsidies last year worth up to $7,500.

Guadalupe Higuera, 30, of Phoenix, Ariz., bought his Chevrolet Equinox EV before that incentive ended. But he still wonders if it was a smart choice. Higuera responded to NPR's request for questions about reducing your climate impact and saving money.

"At what point does it make sense to ditch a gas car for an EV?" he asked. "Does it make sense to replace it at a certain age or mileage? Or do we just drive it until the wheels fall off?"

Higuera says his question is motivated by both saving money and reducing his contribution to the greenhouse gases that are warming the climate. After investigating his question, the answer, as far as climate pollution is concerned, is clear: it makes sense to switch to an EV now. On saving money, the answer is more complicated. But Higuera concludes that switching to an EV was a good financial choice, too.

One reason Higuera questioned his decision was that nothing was wrong with his previous car, a 2016 Jeep Wrangler. And his family has owned an auto repair shop, north of downtown Phoenix, since before he was born. So, he grew up with the idea that it's wasteful to get rid of a car that still runs fine.

"I remember having that conversation with my parents [and] my older brother, before I got my current car," Higuera says. "And they're like, 'your car — we can keep fixing it. It's still good. There's nothing wrong with it.'"

Americans are keeping their vehicles longer. The average age of cars and light trucks on the road increased to 12.8 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics . Often, a big factor in deciding whether to get a new car is repair costs, according to AAA . And not everyone has the benefit of getting the family discount for repairs, as Higuera does.