How far have we come since the 2006 documentary Who Killed The Electric Car, an astute film nominated for Best Documentary Environmental Media Awards (2006) and many other awards? The film won and was a finalist for several big awards, partly because of how disappointing the turn away from electric cars was. How far have we come since then? It depends on the state. California, particularly with its Charge Ahead program, $2,500 ZEV rebate, and ZEV mandate. Many other states are lagging, though, and one is even going backward. Georgia was a surprising progressive encouraging EV adoption. In fact, at one time, it was leading the country in incentives for EVs. But Georgia has been driving down incentives for EVs. Is it another murder attempt on electric cars?
The film bears repetition at this time. Protecting clean air, clean water, and a livable climate warrants EV support. If we were adequately pricing gasoline and carbon emissions, that would be one thing, but since we’re not….
There are more reasons for driving EVs. Not every person becomes interested in EVs due to care for clean air or ecological wellness. Some do so due to the genuinely superior torque, the space-age-styled technology, the concern for safer travel, and the quiet. Others have become interested due to the math, as Marketplace.org explains:
Don Francis notes that Atlanta, Georgia, only about a year ago was second in the nation in electric car use. Francis is the coordinator of the federal Clean Cities program in the state. The article notes that new registrations of electric vehicles have fallen ~90% since the summer of 2015.
Unfortunately, Georgia state policy changed. “State law provided those who bought or leased an EV a $5,000 tax credit. A Georgian with an EV could divide that credit over a two-year lease and recoup about $200 a month. But in 2015, Georgia state lawmakers ended the tax incentive to find savings that offset a transportation spending bill.”
Urgency in electrifying transport is advised but not heeded… except in California, a state that aims to be emissions free by 2025. California programs such as Charge Ahead respond to the desire for cleaner air and a stable climate. If Californians can manage this, it seems more states could. Lung problems from diesel fumes are not convenient, nor cheap, but the current math equation for EVs without tax incentives makes the cleaner, healthier cars less attractive, or even out of the financial reach, of most buyers.
Marketplace.org notes, “The timing for approval of new tax incentives might be better in a few years, said Tim Echols, when manufacturers like Chevy and Tesla promise to develop electric cars that can drive far longer distances on a single charge.”
A few years = more to restore. Worsening air in the meantime.
For more details on financial incentives for EVs, check out: Plug-In America’s United States Incentives Map and the DOE’s Federal Tax Credits for All-Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles.
Related Stories:
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The Autowende Is Here: Electric Cars Are The Next Trillion Dollar Industry
US Transportation System Could Save $1 Trillion Annually, Reduce Carbon Emissions By 1 Gigaton
EV Guide From Sierra Club Updated — New Incentives, New EVs, Busting EV Myths, Etc
It is simple. GA setup the inventive with the idea very few people would actually use it. Once allot of people started using it then it started costing the state too much and they decided to phase it out that point.
Thanks
Robert