Plug In America! $12.5 Billion for PHEVs and Infrastructure

The federal stimulus bill delivered unto America’s nascent plug-in electric vehicle industry some $12.5 billion of your hard-earned tax money for plug-in vehicles and infrastructure. I mean, why not? You gotta spend your way out of a recession, right? Politics aside, nothing. The details of the deal are coming to light, thanks to the plugged-in cheerleaders at Plug In America. The website congratulates all those who helped the government distort the market on their behalf, especially themselves.

Therefore, the historic bill, which has a tax credit of up to $7,500 per vehicle, has the potential to stimulate the sale of more than one-and-a-half million plug-in vehicles.

The President has called for one million plug-ins by 2015, and while Plug In America would like to reach that number even sooner, this provision will do wonders in helping us to meet Obama’s goal.

* $2 billion for advanced battery manufacturing,
* $2B A credit of $2,500 to $7,500, depending on size of battery,1 for electric-drive vehicles under 14,000 pounds GVWR sold after December 31, 2009:

* 10% separate consumer tax credit for 2-3 wheeled vehicles (up to $25,000 for a $2500 tax credit). This incentive helps the most affordable and already available vehicles including electric motorcycles and enclosed 3 wheelers like Aptera, Persu Mobility, and Myers Motors. Vehicles must have a minimum of 2.5 kWH or battery energy. Sunsets 12/31/2011.

* 10% credit for low speed electrified vehicles, up to $2,500 until December 31, 2011.

* 10% credit for conversion kits up to $40,000 credit until December 31, 2011. To qualify, conversion kits must still meet Clean Air requirements.

* $1.7B 30% credit for advanced energy investments, such as plug-in vehicle manufacture,

* $54M for tax credits on Alternative Refueling Property (including EV/PHEV charging)

(they raised the limit from 30% and $30,000 to 50% and $50,000 until 1/1/2011)
(also increased the residential refueling property tax credit to 50% capped at $2000)
(This is a TARP modification)

* $400 million for deployment of plug-in infrastructure and vehicles.

* $300 million to regional deployment of electric drive and alternative fuel vehicles.

* $300 million for the federal purchase of commercially available high-efficiency vehicles (including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles) to remain available until September 30, 2011.

* $10 million additional for administration of Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturer Loan Program and $6 billion additional to Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee program which could go to plug-ins.

And: $6 billion goes to for grants under the EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) for the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturer Grant Program which was approved but wasn’t funded before. This program provides grant funding like the loan funding to help automakers retool to make much more fuel efficient vehicles like EVs and PHEVs.