Earning a lot? Some States will now Kill your Plugin Rebate

Populist politics does not have to be rational; it just has to appeal to the voters that the politician is courting.
"Giving" money to rich people annoys poorer people.

The rational question is to ask how much subsidy is required for each marginal car sale up to the quota goal.

 

How does the Federal subsidy for FCV compare to EV?
As far as income test on CVRP, that's just California state business.
Just think how much of our Federal tax dollars going to Ca. because Ca. is so progressive on BEV and solar etc.
Sheesh I feel like Ca. would have gone under financially by now if it wasn't for all the Federal subsidies.

 

The federal direct subsidy of $8000/car expired, but while it was included it didn't really help Hyundai or honda or mercedes lease many cars 2008-2014 when it was in place. The Federal R&D spending on fuel cells and hydrogen are over $3B. All of the current hydrogen stations operating received federal dollars, in fact many that have closed down received federal money. The federal government has dropped funding to around $100M/year but if you divide that by the number of cars which may be 2000 next year that is still $50K per car. Toyota and Honda are lobbying the federal government to give direct subsidies back, but really they are going to lease the cars for the same price with or without these. IMHO R&D funding is more important at this pre commercial stage.

FCV really only expect to have limited volume and there aren't expectations of many outside of california. $220M+ in fueling subsidies, 9zev credits, and $5000 for commercialization is much more than the $10,000 in federal + california tax credits and 3 to 4 zev credits that bevs currently get in California.

Majority of the subsidies for green spent in California are from federal not state tax dollars, but fcv have now shifted to state tax dollars. Given that the fuel cell experiment is a california thing, I don't think that is a bad thing. The bad thing is California wagging the tail of the dog often to divert more federal money to fuel cells.

The crazy in this new try to move california money from tesla to fuel cells is that it simply won't help "poor people" or get a significant amount of fcv on the road.

 

Or cover to get out of the fuel efficient car business in the USA.

Bob Wilson

 

ouch.