You may have heard that there was recently one of those budget showdowns and the Republicans held a bunch of tax credit extensions as hostage against something or other. The big hoopla was over a payroll tax cut extension. But there are over 60 total tax credits due to expire on Saturday (Dec 31). The payroll tax cut was extended for two months, the others are being left to die.
Three of them were explicitly for electric vehicles: a) EV charger tax credit, b) EV conversions tax credit, c) the $2500 tax credit for electric two- and three- wheelers
Electric Vehicle charging station tax credits a victim of US Govt budget battles
I'm sure that John is perhaps looking into the last of those provisions.
They aren't being cut for previous purchases this year, are they??? I was counting on that $450 to get three bikes repaired in the Spring. The XM needs a front caliper (I think), the ZEV needs gods knows what to fix the front end (it's under warranty, but I'll have to pay for any labor), and my Suzuki 850 needs carb work and a tire...
No, they aren't making laws retroactively. EV's bought in 2011 will be eligible for the credit, but after 2011, it's over. Buy a Current Motor C124 or C130 by midnight tomorrow!
Of course conservatives and especially the "libertarians" (the Ayn Rand cult) are against such tax credits. They think such incentives impede a mythical "unfettered free market" forgetting that "unfettered free markets" got us in all the environmental messes. Does anyone honestly believe that motor vehicles would be so low-polluting (except CO2) and vastly safer today if we had relied on "free markets" instead of the Clean Air Act (EPA) and the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (NHTSA) and their equivalents in other civilized countries? Has such a "free market" approach ever worked anywhere in the world throughout history?
But, of course, this argument is easy enough to rebut just deny there is an environmental mess.
I hate to have to rant-on about something so obvious, but it no longer seems to be obvious among our politicians and corporate media brainwashed public. The sky is purple.
But back on topic - I just took a look at the IRS form 8936 - it is totally opaque how the "tentative credit" is calculated. The instructions say the mfg. or dealer should have provide this amount. Isn't it just 10% of the purchase price? I'll give Current Motor a call, but maybe you can help me with this...
OK, should have read the link. The EV tax credit will continue beyond 2011, but only for new, electric, 4-wheel cars.
Right, as of now the $2500 for motorcycles tax credit has been canceled
There was an editorial in the Washington Post - Overcharged? - that used the occasion to bash EV's in general
My response:
http://www.torquenews.com/1075/overhyped-criticism-electric-car-charging-station-subsidies-washington-post
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
I apologize for bringing this up. Years ago, we could write off all the interest we paid on our loan accounts. Then, that got kaboshed. Well, I still have loan accounts. This time, also, the subsidy for ethanol was kaboshed. Ethanol has proven to be viable. Solar energy has proven itself. There are few great improvements in batteries recently, however, batteries today have never been better.
So, while it's grim news, one thing's for sure. If there's NO government support, there's always a chance there will be less government grief. One thing about government, for all the support they seem to offer, they sure know how to break your back with unlimited paperless paperwork. Fact, they broke us teachers' backs with all the grief of "no child left behind", so I'd just as soon keep them away from my converters, if you know what I mean.
bxcycleman,
I suspect that in the US and increasingly Canada it is a common tactic to sabotage a government program, either by starving it of adequate funding or burden the program with obscure requirements and paperwork. Then they will turn around as say "see? big government doesn't work."
You're correct, and to keep the emphasis on making a change requires resources, which dry up. Hopefully the sentiment would be enough to keep people on a conservative path, however too many times everything just goes back to "normal", whatever that is in the 21st century. I'm very concerned about this pipeline proposed across North America, over the Oglalla aquifer. What's the sentiment in Canada? You know, if something goes wrong with such an undertaking, the whole continent stands to suffer.