Pirate's Cove

Well, this will certainly help force citizens into buying cars they cannot afford that do not give them the range they need and are problematic for them to charge

For consumers shopping for an EV, new rules mean fewer models qualify for a tax credit

U.S. consumers looking to get a tax credit on an electric vehicle purchase have fewer models to choose from under new rules that limit the countries where automakers can buy battery parts and minerals — a potential blow to efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions from autos.

The Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in 2022 expanded tax credits ranging from $3,750 to $7,500 for purchases of new and used EVs, an effort by the Biden administration to stoke demand toward its goal that half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. But qualifying for the credits depends on requirements related to their battery makeup and minerals that get tougher each year.

As of Jan. 1, new rules favor U.S. domestic materials and manufacture. The rules largely target battery components from nations “of concern” — mostly China, but also Russia, North Korea and Iran.

China dominates crucial parts of EV battery supply and production, even as automakers race to establish key mineral and components efforts elsewhere. As a result, only 13 of the more than 50 EVs on sale in the U.S. are eligible for the credits so far this year, down from about two dozen models that qualified in 2023.

Thirteen.

The Tesla Model Y SUV, Chevrolet Bolt compact car and Rivian R1T pickup truck all still qualify. But even different trim levels and variants of the same model now qualify differently; certain Teslas are no longer eligible.

Neither are the Chevrolet Blazer SUV and the Cadillac Lyriq, from General Motors; the Ford Mustang Mach-E; or the Nissan Leaf.

And it will take a while for manufacturers to comply. But, what the AP doesn’t mention is how hard it is to get those materials from acceptable nations, especially the U.S., where enviro-weenies will sue to block any mining.

One positive development for EV buyers this year is that qualifying vehicles can have the credits applied at the time of purchase, as long as the dealer fronts the cost. That means buyers can more easily afford the purchase. More than 8,700 U.S. dealers have signed up to do so, the Treasury Department said last week.

General Motors is also taking $7,500 off its models that lost eligibility, and other deals are available across the market — even as automakers continue to lose money on EVs.

How many dealers are willing to take the upfront hit, and simply wait on the federal government to reimburse them? Mind you, dealers are not owned by the manufacturer. They may have signed up, but, will they follow through? And, if GM can just take $7,500 off before a consumer even comes in, how much profit is built into the vehicle? Or, are they just taking even more of a lost? Seriously, if Americans really wanted EVs at this time no tax credit would even be needed. No coercion.

BTW, the tax credits are very complicated: if a dealer takes the hit, does this affect the tax filings of the purchaser?

Read: Surprise: Only 13 EVs Qualify For Tax Credit »

I’m just wondering if those students are paying property and income taxes, along with lots of sales tax, which primarily funds the schools?

Students say NYC school buildings need a climate change

A group of New York City teens are launching a campaign urging Mayor Eric Adams to speed up plans to retrofit school buildings to make them safer, healthier and more climate-friendly.

The teens – part of a student-led environmental coalition called TREEage – are asking peers across the city to post videos to social media about why their schools urgently need green energy upgrades. The group is also asking students to grade how green their school is from A to F.

Zuzu Qadeer, a student at Beacon High School, has already submitted a video highlighting problems at their school.

They said polluted air from a taxi garage next to the school has caused the building’s basement to have such poor air quality that it had to be evacuated 18 times last year. Students have complained of headaches and nausea due to the fumes.

Well, that’s understandable. And has zero to do with ‘climate change’. What do the students recommend be done? They aren’t. Complaining without ideas is called whining.

In October 2022 the Adams administration announced a $4 billion plan to begin retrofitting 100 schools to all-electric heating and build only electricity-powered new school buildings by 2030. The mayor also pledged to end the use of polluting No. 4 heating oil in schools and upgrade hundreds of lights to LED bulbs.

Where’s that money coming from?

Kathryn Gioiosa is a sophomore at CUNY and co-executive director of TREE-age, said those initiatives are “a good starting point … but it’s definitely not enough.”

Before CUNY, Gioiosa attended Forest Hills High School. She said during her time there the school had issues with lead in the water. In the winter, the heat was too high, and in the summer there wasn’t enough air conditioning. She ran track right next to traffic on Grand Central Parkway.

Again, that has nothing to do with climate doom. Perhaps if the city wasn’t spending so much money on illegal aliens and driving away businesses and all their tax revenue?

She noted that students her age and younger have been feeling the climate crisis even more intensely after smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the city last spring and torrential rains flooded commutes this fall. She hopes the social media campaign will help students elevate the issues at their individual schools and connect with each other.

It’s always easy to spend Someone Else’s money, eh?

Read: NYC Youts Demand City Speed Up Retrofitting Schools For Global Boiling »