FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2019
Contact:
Noah Barnes, Plug In America
(323) 333-8010
nbarnes@pluginamerica.org
Plug In America endorses legislation to extend federal EV tax credit for more Americans
Bipartisan bill will reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign oil
WASHINGTON – Today, the Driving America Forward Act was introduced in Congress that would support electric vehicle (EV) consumers by increasing the cap on the federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500. The legislation calls for each automaker to receive a maximum of 600,000 credits to be claimed by consumers—an additional 400,000 from what the current legislation allows. The bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Gary Peters (D-MI) on the Senate side, and Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI 5) on the House side, is strongly supported by Plug In America.
“Consumers want these clean vehicles and the Driving America Forward Act will allow for more drivers to claim the credit and go electric,” said Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America. “EV sales in 2018 increased by 81% over 2017, showing the consumer demand, yet EVs still represent less than 2% of overall U.S. light-duty vehicle sales. Increasing the cap is an appropriate step for Congress to take at this time to support the growth of the EV market.”
Last week, the Electric Cars Act of 2019 was introduced in Congress as well, sponsored by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Peter Welch (D-VT). The Electric Cars Act of 2019 would extend the tax credit for 10 years and help deploy charging infrastructure. There are a number of co-sponsors for the legislation. In addition, last week 100 Democrats sent a letter to Chair Richard Neal (D-MA) of the House Ways and Means Committee supporting an extension of the federal EV tax credit, among other clean energy measures. Clearly, there is a desire in Congress to support the EV driver.
“We urge Congress to move quickly and adopt the Driving America Forward Act to not impede market growth,” said Levin. “EVs offer a variety of benefits to all Americans—cleaner air, reduced healthcare costs, reduced reliance on foreign oil and improved national security, financial savings for consumers, jobs in the technology and innovation sectors, and reduced electricity rates. All members of Congress should support the growth of the EV market with this legislation to achieve these benefits.”
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About Plug In America
Plug In America is the nation’s leading independent consumer voice for accelerating the use of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States. Formed as a non-profit in 2008, Plug In America provides practical, objective information collected from our coalition of plug-in vehicle drivers, through public outreach and education, policy work and a range of technical advisory services. Our expertise represents the world’s deepest pool of experience of driving and living with plug-in vehicles. We drive electric. You can too. pluginamerica.org
