For Christine, a longtime El Dorado County resident, getting a reliable car wasn’t about luxury, it was about necessity.
“I have a disabled adult daughter who has a ton of medical appointments that I have to drive her to. It’s not like the hospital is around the corner—it’s about 15 miles just to get to town.”
Her old all-wheel-drive vehicle had become costly to maintain and fuel. “It was a gas guzzler,” Christine says. “Every trip to the store or a doctor’s appointment added up.” She had been searching for a grant for years but found most clean-air programs weren’t available in her rural area. until DCAP expanded to El Dorado County. “When I saw it was finally open here, I was so excited,” she recalls. “I’d been waiting a long time.”
From the moment she applied, Christine felt supported. “The person I was connected to, Ben, was just so nice and helpful,” she says. “Then I got connected with Gabby, who was kind of an advocate she made sure I found a dealer who really cared and helped me get a car that worked for my situation.”
Christine ultimately found her 2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid through a dealership in El Cerrito. “It was the last day to get the grant, and I thought I wasn’t going to make it. “But they helped me every step of the way. I trusted them completely, and it all worked out.”
The new car has transformed her daily life. “It’s fun to drive, it’s clean, and it fits my family and my big dog,” she laughs. “Between the battery and the gas, I get about 75 mpg, which is amazing compared to my old car.”
Christine has also become an advocate herself. “There’s a couple down the street in their 80s who just applied after I told them about the program—and they got a car, too,” she says. “It’s great seeing it help other people in my community.”
“I feel totally blessed and really grateful for the help I got,” she says. “This program has made such a difference for me and my daughter.”