A couple of weeks ago, I went to the part of the Vectrix website on Company / Advocacy, which brought me to http://capwiz.com/vectrix/home/. I hit the "Take Action" button and e-mailed my congressional representatives asking them to amend the recent EV Tax Credit / Bailout Bill to (a) include 2-wheeled EVs and (b) make the legislation retroactive to purchases in 2007 - or to make those kinds of changes in future legislation. (P.S.: There are other "Advocacy" options outlined on that page, as well as links to other things you can do to make your opinion heard... Again, the page is http://capwiz.com/vectrix/home/ )
Following is a reply I just received from Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-CAL, in which she confirms that the recent Federal tax credit legislation does not apply to 2- or 3-wheeled vehicles - and says she will "keep your thoughts in mind" for the future. This is the nicest "form letter" reply I've ever gotten from a politico, and who knows if it will really do any good or not, but I wanted to put this out there for others to know, and to "Take Action" if you wish. Perhaps if more of us took just a few minutes to send some additional e-mails, it just might make a difference.
Here is the full text of the Senator's reply to my original e-mail:
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Dear Mr. Vath:
Thank you for writing to me to express your support for providing tax incentives for electric motorcycles. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue, and I welcome the opportunity to respond.
Like you, I believe that our nation needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease its dependence on oil. Putting more hybrid and electric vehicles on the road will help us to achieve that goal.
As you know, the Federal electric vehicle tax credit currently applies to electric vehicles that have at least four wheels. I understand that you support modifying the electric vehicle tax credit to include electric motorcycles. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind should the Senate consider legislation to address tax incentives for two and three wheel electric vehicles.
You may be interested to know, however, that the California Air Resources Control Board and the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) have announced that they will offer up to $5,000 in rebates to Californians who purchase alternative fuel and electric vehicles. Under the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentive Program (AFVIP), consumers who purchase a Vectrix zero emission motorcycle will be eligible for a $1,500 rebate. For more information, I encourage you to visit the CCSE website at www.fuelingalts.energycenter.org/.
Again, thank you for writing. I hope you will continue to keep in touch on matters of importance to you. Should you have any further comments or questions, Please contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.
Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/. You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ENewsletterSignup.Signup.
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It might be interesting to see what kinds of replies that other people get when they e-mail their elected representatives... What do you think?
I don't see anything in the new Bailout Bill that excludes 2-wheel vehicles. It all seems to be based on battery capacity, and the Vetrix's 3.7 kW-h NiMH battery is actually quite close to the 4 kW-h required to qualify.
Frankly, I was surprised that Vectrix didn't bump the 2009 VX-1 capacity to 4 kW-h, since that would significantly lower the effective purchase price.
There is just no space for any extra battery capacity.
It's a scooter designed around that NiMH battery pack, and it is a very snug fit....
This information may be used entirely at your own risk.
There is always a way if there is no other way!
Then they have to go LiFePo4 way ASAP with at least 4kWh.