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Tesla Will Be First Automaker To Lose the Federal Tax Credit For Electric Cars (theverge.com)

Tesla has confirmed to Jalopnik that its 200,000th vehicle has been delivered this month, meaning the full $7,500 federal tax credit for electric cars will slowly be phased out. Tesla is the first automaker to reach this mark. "GM is close, too, while Nissan, Ford, and others still have a ways to go," notes The Verge. From the report: Tesla customers who take delivery of their cars -- regardless of whether it's a Model S, X, or 3 -- between now and December 31st, 2018, will still be eligible for the full $7,500 credit from the IRS. Customers who take delivery of their cars between January 1st and June 30th, 2019, will only be eligible for a $3,750 credit. And customers who take delivery of their cars between July 1st and December 31st, 2019, will be offered just $1,875. After that, the incentive is dead.

Put in place early on in the Obama administration, the tax credit was seen as a tool that could be used to encourage customers to buy plug-in electric or hybrid vehicles. This would simultaneously help advance the president's climate and clean energy goals while offering consumers a bit of a break while the cost of battery technology slowly came down. It was also meant to encourage manufacturers to push for greater advancements in that technology. The dollar amount was technically flexible; it was essentially a $2,500 credit with room to increase up to $7,500 depending on the battery capacity of the car being sold. The better the battery in a company's car, the better the rebate their buyers would get.

4 of 329 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Thanks Obama! by Rei · · Score: 4, Informative
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    The big brain am winning again! I am the greetist! Now I am leaving for no particular raisin!
  2. credits pre-date obama by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    the electric vehicle tax credits began prior to obama's administration. it was tacked onto the bank bailout bill that was passed a month before the 2008 election.

  3. Re:REAL businesses dont use subsidies by Rei · · Score: 5, Informative

    Amazing how quickly people forget history. This tax credit was established under Bush.

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    The big brain am winning again! I am the greetist! Now I am leaving for no particular raisin!
  4. Re:Savings? Really no. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Informative

    EVs will remain cheaper than ICE vehicles as long as they get to use the roads, bridges and tunnels for free.

    Even if there was a 100% tax on the electricity used to power EVs, it would still be cheaper!

    If you are serious about infrastructure taxes then you should tax based on damage done by weight. Big rigs with heavy loads do 10000x the damage as a your run of the mill two ton car. Trucking companies are effectively being subsidized by everyone else.

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    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.