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Without Government Subsidy, Electric Car Sales Crash in Georgia
Paladin:
Surprise!
"For more than 15 years, Georgia offered one of the country’s most generous tax credits for people who bought electric cars.
But the $5,000 subsidy went away three months ago, and a look by Watchdog.org at how the tax credit’s expiration has affected sales shows a dramatic drop in the number of all-electric cars such as Teslas and Nissan Leafs purchased in the Peach State.
“That’s the assumption we’ve been making,” said Don Francis, coordinator of Clean Cities-Georgia Coalition, who was opposed to getting rid of the subsidy.
“I thought the credit turned from an incentive into a virtual entitlement,” said state Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, who spearheaded the drive in the state Legislature to sunset the tax credit.
The subsidy expired July 1, and Francis shared motor vehicle data with Watchdog.org obtained from automotive information company R.L. Polk & Co. to see how sales were affected.
According to Georgia car registrations, sales shot up as electric car buyers rushed to take advantage of the tax credit before it expired. But the numbers declined sharply in July and took a swan dive in August—the most recent month tabulated:
The decline from 1,338 in June to 148 in August represents a drop of 88.9 percent."
http://dailysignal.com/2015/10/30/without-government-subsidy-electric-car-sales-crash-in-georgia/
Oceander:
Good. The concept holds potential, but it should only be able to succeed on the merits, by convincing buyers to buy at the full cost of production plus expected profit.
Subsidies for Teslas are especially egregious because those are still $100,000 plus cars so the only thing a government subsidy does is guarantee that the working poor are helping the rich to pay for their playthings.
truth_seeker:
BMW and Audi are moving into electrics.
BMW with their i3 and i8.
Audi with a coming A3 e-tron Sportback.
Both offer plug-in electric, and the i3 offers an optional range extender gasoline engine, only as an option. Extended range gasoline engines are standard in the others.
The literature suggest many people will go days using only electric, charging overnight.
Oceander:
--- Quote from: truth_seeker on November 01, 2015, 07:32:50 pm ---BMW and Audi are moving into electrics.
BMW with their i3 and i8.
Audi with a coming A3 e-tron Sportback.
Both offer plug-in electric, and the i3 offers an optional range extender gasoline engine, only as an option. Extended range gasoline engines are standard in the others.
The literature suggest many people will go days using only electric, charging overnight.
--- End quote ---
Wonderful. As I said, the technology holds a lot of potential. That being said, it should stand or fall on its own merits in a competitive free market. And the companies you list simply drive my basic point about subsidies home: BMW and Audi are not cars for the masses, and definitely not for the lower middle class or working poor. So again, the working poor should not be made to pay to put some doctor or lawyer into an electric BMW or Audi.
truth_seeker:
--- Quote from: Oceander on November 01, 2015, 07:35:29 pm ---Wonderful. As I said, the technology holds a lot of potential. That being said, it should stand or fall on its own merits in a competitive free market. And the companies you list simply drive my basic point about subsidies home: BMW and Audi are not cars for the masses, and definitely not for the lower middle class or working poor. So again, the working poor should not be made to pay to put some doctor or lawyer into an electric BMW or Audi.
--- End quote ---
They are major players in the international vehicle market, and technology generally moves from high end vehicles, downward over time.
Things like radial tires, disk brakes, electric windows, etc. Bluetooth connections for cellular phones, media input, etc.
Anybody want a VW with a turbodiesel engine?
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