Lifetime tax credits for the Volt?

What's the Volt worth to America?

What's a better deal, the Chevy Volt or the Toyota Prius?

The Prius, by a long shot according to analysis by CNNMoney. Even if a Volt driver were to use only electricity to power the Volt and gas were to hit $5.00, the Prius is a still a better deal, even after the government's $7500 tax credit for the Volt.

Finish: Lifetime tax credits for the Volt?

Plug-in tax credits counter productive?

A volt of reality?

In the next few years, if you're interested in a buying a hybrid car to save gas, to fight foreign oil dependency, or to reduce your CO2 footprint, you won't receive any help from the government, unless you buy a plug-in hybrid. Unfortunately, however, for the next several years, there will be very few plug-in hybrids available for sale even if cost is irrelevant.

Even more alarming, plug-in hybrids might not ever make financial sense to either consumers or automakers. In fact, according to a new plug-in vehicle study, almost every plug-in vehicle - both electric and hybrid - is taking the wrong path to mass adoption, and economies of scale. Only switchable batteries, this study finds, offer a path to cost-effective plug-in vehicles.

Finish: Tax credits for plug-ins counter productive?

Hybrid vehicle tax credits for insurance

$655 more per year to insure?

According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, an affiliate of the IIHS, the overall insurance costs for crash damage on most hybrid cars is higher than conventional vehicles.

MarketWatch states, "The 2009 Camry hybrid, for instance, costs an average $1,957 to insure for that 40-year-old male driver, while a similar conventional 2009 Camry costs just $1,302, according to Insure.com."

Finish: Hybrid vehicle tax credits for insurance

New tax credits for non-plug-in hybrids needed?

Tax credits helped drive the Prius

There is no doubt that tax credits for hybrid cars, especially the Toyota Prius, helped sell these vehicles. But, are new tax credits needed to keep moving these vehicles?

Finish: New tax credits for hybrid vehicles needed?

Help make Congress renew solar credits

Why is the Senate holding up solar credits?

Perhaps if Republicans were in control of Congress, it wouldn't be much of a surprise that solar credits were being stalled in the US Senate, but it's green-talking Democrats that are in control. Anyway, if you want to lobby your representatives check out SEIA.org or call the Congressional switchboard and tell them to pass HR6049 NOW!

CAFE? Whatever! Give me hybrid tax credits!!

Today's hybrid cars are the quickest way to plug-in hybrids

A number of the candidates running to be the next President have done a lot of talking about foreign oil dependency, but have offered few actual details other than CAFE, funding for battery research and ethanol.

Sadly, a number of the candidates also have jobs in Congress and they have not done anything about extending Toyota's and Honda's hybrid vehicle tax credits. Sure, putting many more hybrid cars on the road won't significantly reduce foreign oil dependency immediately, but it will significantly increase battery research and competition to create cost effective, fuel efficient technologies, such as plug-in hybrid vehicles.

CAFE? Blah, blah, blah. Give me something now! Why do politicians always talk about what they can do tomorrow, without doing ANYTHING today? As I stated in my earlier post on the hydrogen highway, politicians have no real vision for the future of America - it's all soundbites.

Walking the walk just isn't a requisite requirement for today's politicians.

Buy your Honda hybrid before 2008

Full tax credit available only through 2007

If you've been shopping hybrid cars, one of your main criterion might be available tax credits. Already tax credits for Toyota hybrid vehicles, such as the Prius and the Camry hybrid, are fully expired.

Starting in 2008, the hybrid tax credit for Honda hybrids will be cut in half. After July 1 the tax credit will again be cut in half. So, if you've been considering a Honda Civic hybrid, it might be time to pull the trigger.

Buy your energy saving products before 2008

Federal tax credits expire soon

If your are in the market for a high-efficiency furnace, water heater, windows, or insulation, make sure to take advantage of the Federal consumer tax credits that worth up to $500 on these items. The Federal Tax Credit for these products is set to expire on December 31st, 2007.

Also, make sure to check out your local and state governments as well as you utility company if you do make a purchase on a high-efficiency appliance.

Tax credits for nuclear power, but not hybrid vehicles

No help for efficient-minded consumers?

"A one-sentence provision buried in the Senate’s recently passed energy bill, inserted without debate at the urging of the nuclear power industry, could make builders of new nuclear plants eligible for tens of billions of dollars in government loan guarantees."(NYTimes)

This is not the forum for a nuclear energy debate, but it seems ridiculous that the government's biggest handouts always go to big business - big businesses that use billions in tax incentives to achieve billions in profits. Yet, the benefits provided by these businesses seem to cost American consumers more and more.

What about giving smart consumers the power to reward companies that make smart decisions?

Over and over I have been told how important the clean vehicle tax credit has been to the buyers of hybrid cars? Yet, Toyota's hybrid tax credits are essentially expired. Is that how you reward companies for doing the right thing? More important, isn't it essential to help citizens and consumers to make better choices, such as buying more fuel efficient vehicles?

If it was GM or Ford, rather than Toyota, that was the hybrid sales leader, would hybrid tax credits still have been capped by manufacturer? Would they have been capped at all?

Whether it is Democrats or Republicans, it seems there is one phrase that best describes America's politicians - pork-barrel pigs.

Small business tax deduction for large SUVs over?

So, you need a Hummer to sell real estate?

There is another move in Congress to end the $25,000 tax deduction available to small business owners to buy the largest SUVs - those weighing over six thousand pounds.

It's amazing this deduction has survived this long with all the rhetoric coming out of Washington regarding foreign oil dependency and global warming. Hopefully, the tax deduction can be retooled to reward small business owners whom buy hybrid cars and other clean vehicle technologies.

Then again, we are talking about Congress and politicians here.

Aren't tax credits for plug-in hybrids much ado about nothing?

No new tax credits for regular hybrids?

I have to hand it to Congress. Only Congress can create a lot of buzz while actually doing nothing, such as is with the proposed tax credits for plug-in hybrid vehicles (more).

Now, I'm as big a fan as any regarding plug-in hybrid vehicles, but America can't get enough buyers into conventional hybrid cars. So, how can tax credits for plug-in conversions accomplish anything?

The biggest seller of hybrids, Toyota, is facing the end of any tax incentives for buyers of Toyota hybrids, including the best selling Toyota Prius. With better tax incentives, imagine how many more Prii, Camry hybrids and Highlander hybrids would be selling.

Moreover, if there are not enough hybrids on the road already, how is converting a small percentage of them into plug-ins going to accomplish anything other than buzz among politicians, celebrity-advocates and a handful of rich treehuggers?

I say extend Toyota's tax credits first. If the Prius becomes the best selling car in America because of tax credits, so be it. Millions and millions of 45 mpg hybrids on the road is a good start and it is probably the fastest way to more hybrid competition amongst automakers, as well as the fastest path to mass-produced plug-in hybrids.

I mean, c'mon. How many Americans can really afford to buy a Prius and spend another $10,000 to convert it into a plug-in hybrid that voids the battery warranty? Move forward with the plug-in tax incentive, but not without extending Toyota's tax credits or making larger tax incentives for all hybrid buyers.

Could the Prius become the best selling vehicle in America?

A hidden gem at NAIAS?

Despite a severely reduced hybrid tax credit, the Toyota Prius is now the top-selling vehicle at some Toyota dealers, according to my sources at more than one Toyota dealership in Southern California.

Often Southern California is the barometer of U.S. auto trends. If this is true regarding the Prius and hybrid cars - the Camry hybrid is also a hot seller in SoCal - imagine the sales potential of the third generation Prius.

What would all the hybrid vehicle critics say if the Prius became the best selling vehicle in America?

Lift the hybrid cap Senator Obama

Time to give Toyota some credit!

Congress sucks. Numerous Democrats and Republicans have been speaking about foreign oil dependency and global warming for at least a couple of years now, yet they've done little, despite the fact that a majority agree action is necessary.

O.K. Forget the past.

Barack Obama has now claimed that if he becomes President, he's going to push and to help U.S. automakers to develop hybrid cars. In addition, he also wants to change the tax credit for hybrid vehicles so that there is no cap by manufacturer - something Obama has also proposed as a legislator.

So, what are we waiting for? Foreign oil dependency and global warming are important, but not important enough .......(more).

Congress lobbied to lift hybrid tax credit cap

A123 Systems and Tesla both lobby Congress for help

A horde of auto-orientated lobbyists asked Congress for help yesterday with a number of clean vehicle and clean fuel technologies. Included in that lobbying was a request to remove the cap on hybrid tax credits, which was set at 60,000 hybrid vehicles per manufacturer. Consequently, the leading selling of hybrid cars, Toyota, is already down to a reduced credit that will soon expire completely. Most automakers, on the other hand, have yet to sell one full hybrid.

A123 Systems also lobbied Congress for help in its quest to develop plug-in hybrid vehicles, as did Tesla Motors regarding fully electric vehicles. (more)