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| EV Tax Rebate Could Become Cash on Hood by 2012 Posted: 20 May 2011 12:59 PM PDT
As of right now, if you want to buy say, a Nissan Leaf, you have to pay the dealership $32,780. The $7,500 tax refund only kicks in when you file your taxes, which makes it a lot harder for people right on the cusp of being able to afford a Leaf, or a Volt, or whatever, to get financing. But Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood wants to turn that tax rebate into a cash rebate that is applied right at the dealership, so instead of signing on to pay $32,780 for a Leaf, you would pay $25,280, no waiting for taxes necessary. During a recent tour of Nissan's new battery plant being built in Tennessee, LaHood said such a rebate could come as soon as 2012. I like the idea, although I don't like the idea of putting the rebate into the hands of car dealers. Why? Well Cash for Clunkers, the government program designed to boost car sales and get some old cars off the road, was fraught with fraud and by some calculations, a gigantic waste of government money. If there is a way to screw people out of money, car dealers will figure it out. On the same token, I hope this rebate brings more would-be EV buyers into the fold, as cash on the hood is always a tempting offer. And all this investment into EV vehicles and charging infrastructure could be just what our economy needs to get back on track. Source: Automotive News Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.
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| 1,800 EV Stations Installed Thanks to Stimulus Posted: 20 May 2011 09:14 AM PDT
As part of the $860 billion stimulus package passed by Congress in early 2009, the Transportation Electrification Initiative allocated $400 million towards the study and implementation of vehicular electrification. Coulomb, which received $15 million in government funding and just installed its 500th EV charging station, is one of eight separate electric vehicle projects that received cash. Coulomb's plan also includes the rollout of 2,000 Chevy Volts, 200 FordTransit Connect EVs, 100 Ford Focus EVs, and 100 Smart ForTwo EV's. All told, the eight projects will see 13,000 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles put on the road and over 22,000 charging points in residential, commercial, and public locations by the end of 2013. I recently opined that I'm not sure it is such a good idea to put the charging infrastructure ahead of the demand of electric vehicles themselves…but nobody is listening to me anyways. Next time somebody whines about the lack of infrastructure for charging electric vehicles though, make sure to mention the 22,000+ EV charging stations and the fact that any home with a washer/dryer hookup can have a level 2 charger installed for about $1,000. No charging infrastructure? Think again. This is putting lots of people to work at the same time too. Chu also recently asserted that the “magical distances” of 350 miles on a single charge should be attainable in the next few years. He also hopes to see the cost of EVs come down to between $20,000 and $25,000. That should help mass adoption of EVs, and there ought to be plenty of places to hookup in the coming years. Source: Department of Energy Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.
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