Electric vehicles are just now starting to be viable. Range anxiety is finally be laid to rest as battery technology has increased maximum distance. While charging stations are still in short supply, EVs are capable city cars and will become proper touring vehicles in the near future.
That rate of progress does depend on the continued investment in EVs by the public. Spending premium dollar for what are essentially still in-development prototypes is necessary for manufacturers to assess their market viability.
One major tool for the is the federal tax credit of $7500 toward purchase. Covering about 20% of an ‘entry-level’ EV, the Chevy Bolt or Nissan Leaf, can help motivate buyers toward changing their energy consumption habits.
The promise of EVs, of course, is being free from oil dependence, and instead utilizing environmentally-friendly means, the horrific environmental costs of mineral mining be damned.
Unfortunately for EV enthusiasts and auto manufacturers looking to manage their emission requirements, the White House wants to cut those tax credits to help subsidize their massive tax cuts to those who make the most meaningful contributions.
In hopes that automobiles return to the good old days of coal engines, President Trump needs to remove any tax spending that isn’t geared toward the further betterment of the top 1%.
How manufacturers will manage this will dictate our ability to move beyond less efficient, more expensive and more damaging resources like coal and fossil fuels, causing a massive regression in technological progress and innovation.
No more Nissan Leaf tho.