Thursday, 16 April 2015

Wisdom, Justice, Moderation? — update


Credit: State of Georgia, USA/Charged EVs

Georgia, USA, substantially through its forward thinking policies, such as a $5,000 tax credit for EV purchases, had established itself as second only to California in adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/electric-vehicles/georgia-electric-vehicles#.VTCqrBxW-iw

http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-electric-cars-click-for-atlanta-1401922534 (free registration may be required)

However, last week, the Georgian state legislature passed a bill that not only eliminates the tax credit for EV purchases, but imposes a yearly user fee — $200 for personal vehicles & $300 for commercial EVs.

Brionte McCorkle, a spokesperson for the Sierra Club, Georgia: “When we asked Representative Jay Roberts [the author of the bill] how he arrived at 200 dollars, he said that the average driver pays 85 dollars per year in gas taxes. He said he took that, doubled it, & rounded up.”

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/georgia-reverses-policy-on-evs-eliminating-tax-credit-and-imposing-yearly-fee/

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1097641_insult-to-injury-ga-kills-electric-car-incentive-adds-last-minute-luxury-car-tax-break

Update — On the other hand, Massachusetts has extended its EV rebate program:

http://chargedevs.com/newswire/meanwhile-massachusetts-extends-its-ev-rebate-program/ / Georgian Georgia’s legislature passed highway funding bill eliminates state $5,000 tax credit EV purchases imposes a yearly user fee personal vehicles commercial EV electric vehicle states fees for EV drivers highest in the nation legacy vehicles pay gas taxes Georgia resident gallon user fee arbitrary punitive Representative Jay Roberts average driver petrol gas taxes tax break for Mercedes employees bill Mercedes-Benz North America exempt from the state’s standard car tax Fiscal Research Center of Georgia State University legislation Governor Nathan Deal sign LiIon lithium ion battery cell Wisdom Justice Moderation /