Bipartisan Bill Hopes to Triple Number of EV Tax Credits

With many concerned that the public’s modest adoption of electric vehicles could backslide without a federal tax incentive, U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation on Wednesday to expand the EV tax credit by 400,000 vehicles per manufacturer.

This would help companies that have already exhausted their quota, like Tesla and General Motors, but even automakers that are nowhere near their current allowance would have something to gain — a wider window in which to sell alternative-energy vehicles with governmental help.

Called the “Driving America Forward Act,” the legislation would grant automakers a $7,000 tax credit for an additional 400,000 vehicles and shorten the depletion/phase-out schedule to nine months. However, the existing deal of 200,000 vehicles per automaker eligible for $7,500 tax credit would also remain intact, resulting in a pretty big allowance for government incentives.

Sponsored by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Susan Collins (R-ME), the bill is one of those rare instances of bipartisan legislation. Reuters reports that the plan has already received widespread support from automakers and environmental groups. Still, there are those who believe the incentives are doing more harm than good — artificially propping up a section of the industry that cannot yet stand on its own.

The White House has already suggested eliminating the current EV tax credit system, saving the federal government a claimed $2 billion. Meanwhile, Senator John Barrasso, a Republican sitting at the head of the Environment and Public Works Committee, proposed legislation to end the credit and impose a highway user fee on EVs to help pay for road repairs last February.

Estimates place the cost of “Driving America Forward” at a whopping $11.4 billion.

From Reuters:

GM and Tesla shares rose on Reuters report that the bill would be introduced. Tesla shares recently traded up nearly 1 percent, while GM was up 0.2 percent.

Supporters hope to attach the proposal to tax legislation that could be considered in the next few months.

The existing $7,500 EV tax credit, which allows taxpayers to deduct part of the cost of buying an electric car, phases out over 15 months once an automaker hits 200,000 cumulative EV sales. GM saw its tax credit cut to $3,750 on April 1. Tesla’s tax credit fell to $3,750 on Jan. 1 and will end entirely at year’s end.

Both GM and Tesla have been lobbying Congress for more than a year to extend or evolve the EV tax credit system. The bill received support from both — in addition to Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor Co, BMW Group, Volkswagen Group, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda Motor Co, Nissan Motor Co, and various utilities.

“We have a cap that’s got to go up,” Stabenow told automakers last week. “I want to get this done as soon as possible.”