Georgia Bill To Eliminate EV Credits Gains Traction

by Cameron Aubernon

February 27th, 2015 2:40 AM

georgia bill to eliminate ev credits gains traction

The bill that would kill EV incentives in Georgia has taken a step closer to being voted upon by the state’s legislature.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Georgia House Bill 122, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Martin of Alpharetta, was thought to have been struck down by the House’s Ways and Means subcommittee last week, only to be brought back to life by the same subcommittee under the circumstance that it was merely tabled.

A spokesperson for the House later explained that HB 122 — which would eliminate the $5,000 tax credit for those who buy or lease an EV like the Nissan Leaf — was treated as a tabled bill when it failed to receive the “do pass” recommendation in the subcommittee, thus allowing members to vote on the bill again.

The bill’s language is also on HB 170, a transportation projects bill that legislators hope will pull in $1 billion in new revenue per year for potential projects. The tax credit, meanwhile, would cost the state $628 million between 2016 and 2020, per official state estimates.

#ChuckMartin #EVs #Georgia #HB122 #HB170 #TaxIncentives

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Dwford on Feb 27, 2015

You aren't inducing anyone to buy an electric car that they otherwise wouldn't, you are just subsidizing those who would have anyway. And I'm still wondering why electric car didn't follow the typical car model in which new, high tech features are introduced on high end car first, then trickle down. Instead, we have a system that focuses on making them as cheap as possible, causing huge losses for the automakers and expensive tax credit programs for the government. I think the perfect government car would be a fuel cell electric car that runs on corn based ethanol.

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- Mcs on Feb 27, 2015
  
  >> And I’m still wondering why electric car didn’t follow the typical car model in which new, high tech features are introduced on high end car first, then trickle down. That's not really true. The 85 to 60 kWh batteries on Model S trickling down to lower cost cars like Bolt, next gen Leaf and Model 3. Autopilot on on Model S will probably migrate down to lower end cars. The dual motor option on the S will be available on the Model 3. There is trickle down of features and battery capacity. I also question any claims that EVs aren't profitable for some manufacturers. I suspect the Leaf is profitable for Nissan. They've sold over 150,000 worldwide and they've been discounting and advertising them in the US. You don't push those kind of numbers out the door if you're losing money on them. I think they have the volume needed to make a profit.
  
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- Jeoff on Feb 27, 2015
  
  According to Wikepedia, Georgia market share for electric cars is top in the nation with a market share of 1.60%, the only southern state that cracks the top 10 is Tennessee (where the Leaf is built) with a market share of 0.19%.. In Atlanta electric cars have a 2.15% market share, only second to San Francisco. Of course subsidies matter.
  
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TDIGuy on Feb 27, 2015

And that @dwford is exactly why there shouldn't be a subsidy on one type of alternative fuel technology over another. It skews the results and makes everyone think that electric cars are much more popular than other choices such as fuel cell, CNG, or whatever.

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- Redav on Feb 27, 2015
  
  I disagree because some technologies *are* better than others, and I don't believe in the infallible invisible hand of free markets. (I do believe in the invisible hand, but I don't believe it is necessarily infallible.) Sometimes it can be good to give the better solution a push.
  
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- EManual on Feb 27, 2015
  
  @redav The High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes that include EV vehicles is an example of the push needed. Since Atlanta is the problem, let Atlanta solve it, rather than burdening the whole state. Likewise for the entire nation - remove all EV subsidies from the crony capitalists. National laboratories on battery research can somewhat be justified, but not top-down government dictated solutions. I say this as someone who wants a battery vehicle as a 3rd car for in-town commuting, but hate our confiscatory taxes and insane regulations.
  
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- Bosozoku on Feb 28, 2015
  
  @eManual > Since Atlanta is the problem, let Atlanta solve it Believe me, most of the Atlanta region would be happy to breakaway from the rest of the state. Atlanta is the engine that has made Georgia into a national and international player. Aside from Savannah's port, the rest of the state is basically an economic parasite piggybacking on the progress of the Atlanta metro region.
  
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SexCpotatoes on Feb 27, 2015

Unless they actually tack on a $7500 or whatever EXTRA tax they're not eliminating EV tax credits, but talking about merely pulling Georgia state incentives for said EVs. *YAWN*

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Banger on Feb 27, 2015

"HB 122 — which would eliminate the $5,000 tax credit for those who buy or lease an EV like the Nissan Leaf...The tax credit, meanwhile, would cost the state $628 million between 2016 and 2020, per official state estimates." Who did the "official state estimates," again? Do they really expect there will be more than 125,000 EVs sold in Georgia over those four years? Holy cow.

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