If you’re considering purchasing an electric vehicle, there are various ways to reduce its upfront costs. These may include federal tax credits and state incentives as well as non-cash benefits like free parking or access to carpool lanes.
Researchers estimate that tax credits accounted for an estimated 27% of electric vehicle (EV) sales in 2014 in the US. They further estimate that without these subsidies, sales would have fallen by an estimated 29%.
1. Tax Credit
Electric vehicles can be an excellent way to combat climate change while providing significant financial savings through federal and state tax credits.
The Electric Vehicle Tax Credit can substantially lower the costs of purchasing an EV, with many buyers qualifying for up to $7,500 of rebate. You can claim this credit by filing IRS Form 8936 along with your annual taxes.
But the Tax Credit can have restrictions, such as income and manufacturing requirements that must be met to qualify. Therefore, it’s essential that before purchasing an EV, one carefully consider all their implications and costs.
California offers additional incentives and cash rebates for several electric vehicle models, which may significantly lower out-of-pocket expenses depending on brand and model selection.
These incentives can play a pivotal role in helping determine your suitability for an EV purchase, but be aware that not every state offers these incentives.
Texas does not provide tax credits on electric vehicles (EVs), but does offer discounted registration and inspection fees; these savings could even apply to leased EVs.
The IRS also sets very specific rules regarding who qualifies to claim this credit: Individual filers must earn $150,000 or less with their modified adjusted gross income, while joint filers and heads of household must not make more than $225,000 annually.
There are exceptions to these rules, however. For example, purchasing an electric vehicle for business use or leasing one from a dealership might allow you to claim tax credits; but this depends on their policy regarding tax breaks.
IRS has also recently altered its rules concerning what components and minerals an electric vehicle (EV) needs in order to qualify for a full $7,500 tax credit incentive, making qualification more difficult initially, but experts argue this change is intended largely as a means of expanding battery production within U.S. borders.
2. Zero Emission Zones
Cities around the globe are adopting various strategies to reduce vehicle emissions and encourage cleaner transport, including zero emission zones (ZEZs) and near-zero emission zones (near-ZEZs).
ZEZs are intended to increase public health and environmental benefits, such as improving air quality and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. ZEZs may also encourage cleaner forms of transportation such as public transit.
These zones typically charge higher fees/tolls to vehicles that emit more pollution than low emission cars. While such zones can help promote cleaner modes of transport and achieve local and global goals, implementing equitable policies must always be kept in mind when designing such policies.
US states are adopting an increasing number of zero emission vehicle (ZEV) policies to promote and encourage purchase and deployment of electric vehicles without tailpipe emissions in these zones. Some even offer tax incentives to further promote ZEV sales.
While some ZEV subsidies aim to decrease carbon emissions, others focus on other pollutants associated with road transport such as particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emitted during road use. Such policies can have a hugely positive impactful in cities with dense populations and poor air quality.
Implementation of traffic reduction strategies that prioritize people over cars – such as congestion pricing – has also proven highly successful at decreasing pollution levels and encouraging a shift in travel behaviour. London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone has already made great strides toward this end, cutting emissions by more than half and inspiring changes to travel behavior.
As cities become ever-more urbanised, it has become more crucial that they adopt strategies that address climate change, air quality and social equity. Such approaches may range from road pricing and congestion taxes to supporting policies for a healthier and more sustainable urban environment.
Santa Monica, California recently unveiled a one-square-mile ZEZ program as a pilot initiative that allows electric delivery vehicles to park in designated parking spots throughout the area and uses video analytics technology to monitor how these spaces are being utilized and their effects on delivery efficiency, driver safety, curbside availability and city congestion.
3. Charging Infrastructure
Charging Infrastructure
Electric vehicles (EVs) require a charging infrastructure that will transfer electricity from the distribution grid directly into their battery packs. To be cost effective and accessible to a wide range of people and vehicle types, this infrastructure must be user friendly as well as simple in its implementation.
As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to expand, it’s critical that public and private charging infrastructure become more convenient, making EVs more appealing to drivers while hastening uptake, leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocates $7.5 billion towards installing 500,000 public EV chargers nationwide by 2030, using this money to fast track America’s EV-charging infrastructure, supporting construction of new charging stations in underserved communities and along highways; but even this may not meet all our nation’s needs.
States and companies looking to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure should adhere to seven principles when developing it, which will help create an EV-charging station network that is both equitably distributed and profitable for their operators – appealing to consumers at the same time!
These principles could include striking a balance between installing more charging stations in more places and prioritizing data-driven, sustainable approaches to increasing reliability in charging infrastructure. They might also focus on interoperability/connectivity of chargers/charging infrastructure/signage/how data is collected/displayed.
DC fast charging technology provides faster recharge than standard equipment, making it especially suitable for fleet vehicles such as transit buses or commercial trucks that must recharge quickly. This type of fast charging is becoming increasingly common.
State and local governments play a vital role in developing and deploying electric vehicle charging stations, with state governments having primary responsibility. Their plans must meet federal requirements while simultaneously serving rural and urban areas while creating opportunities for small businesses.
States and businesses must also carefully consider how the resulting stations will be distributed across America’s population, which may have different access or technology needs than some drivers. As such, states and businesses should carefully weigh all factors associated with planning, designing and constructing public charging stations so they will meet America’s need for additional charging infrastructure while remaining economical, equitable distribution attractive consumers and connected to a robust power grid – adhering to these principles allows states and companies to more efficiently build its EV-charging infrastructure than ever before.
4. Enhanced Value
Electric vehicles (EVs) tend to be more costly than their conventional counterparts, making the EV tax credit an appealing incentive for buyers. You can claim up to $7500 of an EV’s purchase from your taxes as an individual and up to $7,000 as joint filers.
However, the tax credit does have some restrictions: an electric vehicle that costs over $55,000 cannot qualify for tax relief while SUVs/trucks that exceed $80,000 cannot claim either tax relief. Also make sure your vehicle was produced in America.
Cities have also supported EV sales through various methods beyond federal and state incentives, including strategically deployed charging infrastructure and preferential/prohibited circulation or access schemes like low emission zones or differential circulation fees.
Studies have confirmed that purchase incentives lead to more electric vehicles (PEVs) being sold, with particular effectiveness for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Unfortunately, current U.S. subsidy policy subsidizes BEVs at different levels depending on battery capacity – potentially creating higher subsidies for plug-in hybrid EVs as well.
This approach will likely continue unless a more effective alternative can be identified that could improve their impact and decrease costs. One possible solution would be limiting subsidies only to lower-income individuals, who make up a substantial proportion of PEV purchases and who would thus benefit most from such incentives.
Overall, our simulation results demonstrate that more targeted subsidy policy design could significantly lower budgetary costs associated with current policies while encouraging PEV adoption. This may prove especially helpful in rural areas, where reduced gasoline consumption could reduce vehicle fuel and maintenance costs for residents.
To make the 2020s a decade of transition to EVs, several actions and policies must be undertaken by market leaders and followers alike. This includes continuing development of batteries while broadening regulatory instruments to support an easier transition away from ICEs. A particular priority in 2021 and beyond should be encouraging electric transport methods as a way of increasing range and efficiency for EVs and alternatives.