Tax Incentives For Tesla Buyers
If youre a current or prospective Tesla owner and have read this far, youre probably not super psyched right now. Teslas record number of sales is great for the automaker, but not for your tax return, right?
Tesla has compiled its own database of resources by state to help its customers calculate their potential savings before they even commit to buy.
Its also important to note that all incentives mostly apply to purchases by cash or loan only. Incentives for customers leasing a Tesla are currently only available in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and Tennessee.
Is There Any Fine Print For Ev Incentives
Of course, there is. There’s the rule that limits the federal tax credit to the original buyer of a qualified EV or plug-in hybrid vehicle. You should also know about a few other conditions:
As noted earlier, if you’re leasing a vehicle, the credit stays with the manufacturer that’s offering the lease since it is the actual owner of the car. In most cases, however, the tax credit has been factored into the cost of the lease, so the customer benefits.
The federal tax credit isn’t applicable to an electric vehicle being purchased for the purpose of reselling it. That’s a gray area, though, and would be tough for authorities to prove.
The vehicle must primarily be used in the United States.
Plug-in and battery electric vehicles must be built by qualified manufacturers to be eligible for the full $7,500 credit.
Plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles also must have battery packs that are rated for at least 4 kWh of energy storage and are capable of being recharged from an external source.
The IRS, of course, always reserves the right to reject a claim for a tax credit.
Other Tax Credits Available For Electric Vehicle Owners
So now you should know if your vehicle does in fact qualify for a federal tax credit, and how much you might be able to save.
Perhaps, however, you plan to buy the newly refreshed Tesla Model S or you already drive a 2017 Chevy Bolt and no longer qualify for any tax credit at least not quite yet. Dont worry! Before giving up hope on your tax break quest for the year, keep in mind the other incentives offered in each state.
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Just to remind you, the cheapest all-wheel-drive RAV4 currently offered, the gas-only LE, retails for $30,190, which means and Ill save you the time spent reaching for your calculator that a Prime sourced in Quebec will cost but $1,800 more than a gas-only version.
That qualifies, in my mind, as downright crazy. It also makes the 2021 RAV4 Prime the best deal of the year as well as car of the year!
For the record, besides the base $44,990 SE, there will be a $51,590 XSE version of the Prime, which adds bigger tires, a power moonroof, a power rear door, a digital rearview mirror and wireless charging into the mix. A the top of the food chain is XSE with an optional Technology Package, which throws in a larger panoramic sunroof, 11-speaker JBL audio system, all-door Smart Key system, ventilated front seats and a 1,5000-watt 110-volt electric outlet and more for $56,990.
How Much Will The Toyota Rav4 Prime Cost
The Toyota RAV4 Prime comes in two trim levels, the Prime SE and the Prime XSE. Both options are a 2.5L Plug-in Hybrid and get 94 MPGe. The EPA-estimated mileage estimates from Toyota are 40 mpg in hybrid mode in the city, 36 mpg on the highway, and 38 mpg combined. The electric driving range is 42 miles.
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime SE price is $38,350, while the Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE starts at $41,675. Both SUVs come with a 36-month, 36,000 warranty. The hybrid battery comes with a 10-year, 150,000-mile warranty. Your local dealership likely has a few Toyota RAV4 Prime for sale, but you might have to look a few miles further than usual. The price of used and new cars will hopefully level out in the near future and vehicles like a used RAV4 will be more affordable once again.
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Consumer Reports Review Of The Compact Toyota Suv
Consumer Reports gave the RAV4 Prime a positive review. It came in sixth on the list of 23 compact SUVs. On the road test, the SUV scored 85 out of 100. The predicted owner satisfaction was above average, while the reliability was average.
Some of the safety features that are included on the Toyota RAV4 Prime are forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking. It also provides pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has one recall for the headlights. It was reported that the horizontal headlight beams might be incorrectly adjusted and could increase the risk of a crash.
There will be a 2022 RAV4 Prime, too, so keep up to date on the tax credits to get a good deal. Dont overlook a good deal on some of the model year-end sales. Plus, some of the 2021 vehicles might qualify for a used EV rebate at some point. There is a big push for electric vehicle incentives right now, including a proposal for a $12,500 EV incentive.
Tax Incentives On Electric Vehicles Are Worth The Research
Hopefully this post has helped to incentivize you to use the resources above to your advantage.
Whether its calculating potential savings or rebates before making a new EV purchase or determining what tax credits might already be available to you for your current electric vehicle, there is much to discover.
Ditching fossil fuels for greener roadways should already feel rewarding, but right now the government is willing to reward you further for your environmental efforts.
Use it to your full capability while you can, because as more and more people start going electric, the less the government will need to reward drivers.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
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Beyond The Personal Ev
In addition to incentivizing purchase of new EVs, the climate spending proposal would create a new $4,000 federal tax credit for used EV purchases as well as credits for electric bicycles, motorcycles and commercial electric vehicles.
The commercial EV credit would be for up to 30% of the vehicles cost and would apply only to fully electric commercial vehicles with batteries of at least 30 kWh capacity.
The measure also calls to extend the present $8,000 federal tax credit for fuel-cell electric vehicles until 2031.
Drive Clean Rebate Eligible Models
With more than 60 car models to choose from that qualify for the Drive Clean Rebate, youre bound to find an electric car that best fits your style, budget and driving needs. Any new car sale of the models in the following table are eligible for the rebate, regardless of model year. Unless a specific model year is indicated, all model years of a car model are eligible for the same rebate amount.
Learn more about these models through the “Drive Change. Drive Electric.” campaign.
These rebate levels reflect current rebate amounts. The last rebate amount change was made in June, 2021.
| Make and Model |
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It Applies To Ev Plug
The law states that the credit applies to road-going vehicles that are charged from an external source and have battery packs with capacities of 4 kilowatt-hours or greater. The base credit is $2,500 with $417 per kWh above 4 kWh, not to exceed $5,000 for the full $7,500 credit. This formula applies to all battery-electric vehicles as well as plug-in hybrids.
In practice, heres how the tax credit works. A standard 2021 Toyota Prius hybrid will not qualify because it cant be plugged into an external power source. But the 2021 Toyota Prius Prime will, because of its plug-in capability, which is good for the first $2,500 of the credit. Because of its 8.8 kWh battery, it will be eligible for an additional $2,000 in credits. The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid, which has a larger 18.1 kWh battery, is eligible for the full $7,500 credit.
That $7,500 credit also applies to hydrogen fuel-cell cars, such as the Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity, or Hyundai Nexo. However, those make sense only for buyers who live near one of Americas few hydrogen refueling stations, mostly concentrated in California.
The U.S. Department of Energy maintains a list of vehicles that qualify for the tax credit and the amount buyers could deduct for them.
Federal Ev Tax Credit Phase Out Tracker By Automaker
Consumers, analysts, electric vehicle advocates, lawmakers and others are all curious about what will happen to the growth in EV sales when the US Federal EV tax credit phases out partially or completely for some automakers. Tesla reached the milestone in July 2018 and General Motors reached it in December 2018.
No other automaker is likely to reach the 200,000 unit sales threshold until at least 2022-2023. EVAdoption will update our Federal EV tax credit phase-out tracker every quarter, so check back on a regular basis.
Based on our recent estimates and forecast, Toyota will be the next manufacturer to reach the 200,000 tax credit phaseout threshold, likely in Q2 of 2022.
Ford is most likely to quickly follow Toyota and reach 200,000 sales of EVs in Q3 2022, followed by Nissan, but not until at least Q2 or Q3 of 2023.
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Bigger Bucks For Union
The social and climate spending plan calls for a total of $555 billion for various climate and clean energy programs including the EV incentives increase designed to entice Americans to purchse the zero-emissions vehicles.
In months of closed-door negotiations in the House, the EV plan survived relatively intact despite a controversial requirement that would create a multi-level tax credit with the highest amount reserved for electric vehicles built in U.S. plants with unionized workforces.
Of the 51 EVs and plug-in hybrids in the market today, the Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV would be the sole qualifiers for the full $12,500 creditand thats only because the plan would eliminate the present sales cap on eligibility.
The incentive available for almost all EVs built outside of the U.S. as well as for those built domestically but with non-union labor would be $7,500 . The measure adds $500 for any qualified vehicle with batteries made in the U.S. and another $4,000 for vehicles built in the U.S. with union labor .
The bill requires an EV to have at least a 40-kilowatt-hour battery to be eligible for the base $7,500 tax credit. Below that the base would be $4,000. There are still three EVs with less than 40 kWh battery capacity on sale in the U.S: the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, Mini Cooper SE and the just-introduced Mazda MX-30 .
Mazda
Your Electric Utility May Help
Lastly, its not just governments that can help you with the cost of a new EV. Some local electric utilities have incentive programs to help buyers get into electric vehicles .
These can be as significant as a rebate. The Omaha Public Power District, for instance, offers a $2,500 rebate to customers who purchase a new EV and home charging station. Or they may be as small as discounted electric rates for charging an EV outside peak hours.
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Ev Tax Credit For New Electric Vehicles
Current EV tax credits top out at $7,500. Congress is mulling over passing the Build Back Better Act, which would increase the maximum electric vehicle tax credit to $12,500 in 2022. Heres how you would qualify for the maximum credit:
- $7,500 Purchase an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, defined as a car with a battery capacity of at least 40 kilowatt-hours and a gas tank, if any, under 2.5 gallons
- $4,500 If the car was assembled at a unionized U.S. plant.
- $500 If the battery pack was made in the United States
Notably, the bill has language that says in 2027 only cars assembled in the U.S. and that have a battery of at least 50 kWH would qualify for the base $7,500 credit.
Its also critically important to understand how the proposed credit can be applied. Car dealers can claim the credit on a consumers behalf. What the heck does that mean? It means dealers can build the tax break into the advertised prices of their cars. Instead of receiving a credit back from the government, in that case youd simply receive a discount on the out the door price of your vehicle. And unlike current EV tax credits, the proposed electric vehicle tax credits for 2022 are refundable. This means that taxpayers can qualify for it even if they have no tax liability.
How To Get On Wait List For The Rav4 Prime
Scott_Alexander said:Hello All -I’d like to get on a waiting list for the RAV4 PRIME. This is a very compelling vehicle and I expect there will be many others who which to buy this vehicle.Can I do that through a dealership? Are there any “Gotchas” for signing up on a wait list through a dealership?Thanks in advance for any and all help!Sincerely,
In the USA, new cars are only sold through dealers . Being on a “waiting list” is no guarantee of availability or price.When you go to the Toyota dealer, make sure you take a jar of Vaseline.
Scott_Alexander said:I wish Toyota handled their waiting lists more like Tesla – if they had an immediate 30K signed up on the waiting list, that’s a pretty good indication of what the future demand will be. I don’t mind paying full sticker, but I’m not going to pay $5K more
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Lexus Ux250h Or 2020 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid: Which Model And Trim Should You Buy
All that makes the RAV4 Prime SEs base price of $44,990 look pretty darned inviting, especially since it come standard with a larger touchscreen, larger wheels and heated front and rear seats compared with the SE version of the regular Hybrid. Indeed, eagle eyes will spot that the new Prime squeaks in just under the federal $45,000 cap for EV incentives, making the value proposition even better.
Is The Toyota Rav4 Prime Eligible For The Tax Credit
And now for the Toyota RAV4 Prime, Toyota’s second-fastest vehicle. Enjoy!
Doug DeMuro May 4, 2021
At the time of publication, the RAV4 Prime XSE and SE are both still eligible, according to the United States Department of Energy . The PHEV is eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit right now. The tax rebates and credits are in the process of changing, but it still qualifies. The Toyota RAV4 Prime is one of a few 2021 Toyota vehicles that still have the total rebate.
While the hybrid option is suitable for some families, the non-hybrid 2021 Toyota RAV4 is also a reliable SUV. The compact vehicle also offers cargo space, a comfortable ride, and modern technology. It has room for five passengers and has 302 hp.
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Maximize Everything You Do
Take fuel efficiency to the next level by plugging in at home, at work or at any nearby public charging station. With up to an EPA-estimated 42-mile EV Mode driving range on a full charge, you could potentially drive using only electricity for short commutes. And donât worryâif you canât or forget to charge, RAV4 Prime will still run on its efficient gas engine as long as you have fuel.
How Does A Federal Tax Credit Work For My Ev
The idea in theory is quite simple All electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that were purchased new in or after 2010 may be eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500, according to the US Department of Energy.
With that said, you cannot simply go out and buy an electric vehicle and expect Uncle Sam to cut $7,500 off your taxes in April. In reality, the amount you qualify for is based on both your income tax as well as the size of the electric battery in the vehicle you own. Heres how it works.
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Status Of The $12500 Federal Tax Credit For Evs
When the aforementioned $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill was passed in early November, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had planned to also vote on the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act and the $12,500 federal EV tax credit within it.
However, a small group of moderates in the House refused to support the legislation without a cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office . As a compromise, the House approved a procedural vote required to open Bidens Build Back Better Act to passage, following an official CBO cost estimate.
While the larger infrastructure bill and social safety net did inevitably pass through the House, the Senate has been unable to come to terms on a bill that garners enough votes, thus missing the Presidents deadline to get Build Back Better signed before years end.
The Build Back Better Act and its potential $12,500 EV credit still await passage following official Congressional approval. We will continue to follow its progress and update this page with the latest as it hopefully moves forward.
