Almost all electric vehicles would qualify for the US EV tax credit with new Congress bill
You may be in luck if you’re looking to buy an electric vehicle. A new bill introduced in the Senate called the Affordable Electric Vehicles for America Act would allow essentially all EVs in the US to qualify for the $7,500 tax credit if passed.
On Friday, a few members of the US Congress, including Terri Sewell (AL), Eric Swalwell (CA), Emmanuel Cleaver (MO), and Jimmy Gomez (CA), introduced the Affordable Electric Vehicles for America Act, a new bill aimed to lower the threshold of owning an EV.
The bill would establish a phase-in period for the battery sourcing and manufacturing requirements included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in August.
Hyundai, in particular, has been one of several automakers that have publicly disagreed with the IRA bill’s provisions. The South Korean automaker announced in May, before the IRA was passed, that it would be building a massive $5.5 billion electric vehicle plant in Georgia.
Before the IRA bill, the Hyundai Motor Group’s EVs, such as the award-winning IONIQ5, qualified, but that will no longer be the case once the new provisions kick in at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, foreign leaders from South Korea, Japan, and the EU have lobbied for provision changes, expressing concerns over unfair competitive advantages.
Although Hyundai originally planned to begin construction in 2023, the South Korean automaker sped up its plans, breaking ground on its plant in Bryan County, Georgia, on October 25.
According to reports, Hyundai and other automakers are looking for a delay for the battery sourcing and manufacturing provisions kicking in at the end of the year to give them time to build and scale production. The Affordable Electric Vehicles for America Act would do just that.
A tax credit for all-electric vehicles in the US?
The Inflation Reduction Act is already doing its job as designed by bringing EV manufacturing jobs and investments back to the US. According to a new report, climate initiatives have added at least $40 billion in planned battery investments and over 642,000 jobs since the start of 2021.
However, many of the planned facilities and other initiatives will take time to build and become operational. For example, Hyundai will start building EVs at its Georgia facility in 2025. However, with the IRA provisions setting in at the end of the year, Hyundai EV models will still be disqualified until then.
The Affordable Electric Vehicles for America Act aims to allow automakers like Hyundai to qualify until the plant is up and running, giving them time to scale production.
Representative Cleaver explains:
Our legislation takes important steps to make the historic electric vehicle tax credits passed in the Inflation Reduction Act immediately accessible to consumers, particularly working- and middle-class Americans who would like to purchase an electric vehicle but need the federal credit to do so. As oil companies insist on continuing their exorbitant price-gouging of American families at the pump, these tax credits offer hardworking Americans immediate and significant financial assistance to help them purchase a vehicle that is better both for the environment and their wallets.
The bill would delay when the EV battery sourcing and manufacturing requirements kick in to give car buyers access to electric vehicles while still promoting manufacturing in the US.
Electrek’s Take
I like the idea of allowing foreign automakers, like Hyundai, to qualify for the tax credit, given that they already have plans set in stone to build electric vehicles in the US. The move would build upon the relationship with South Korea, a valued trade partner, while lowing the threshold for Americans to own an EV.
At the same time, I don’t believe every EV should qualify. The goal of the bill is to bring manufacturing back to the US, hence why including Hyundai makes sense.
There’s been around $85 billion in electric vehicle, battery, and charging investments since 2021. Giving these initiatives time to develop while establishing a domestic supply chain in the US will help drive EV adoption in the long run, while solidifying relationships with critical trade partners.
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On today’s incredibly frustrating episode of Quick Charge, Tesla is making it easier than ever to make fun of them by rolling out a new, “affordable” Model Y that costs $2,000 more than the “expensive” one did last week, thanks to the cancellation of the $7,500 tax credit that Elon Musk (the guy who is so good at business that he’s allegedly worth $1 trillion) spent $200 million campaigning for.
We’ve also got the new, single-motor Volvo EX30 at a price that undercuts the cheap Tesla, but includes a full length glass roof that isn’t inexplicably covered in upholstery to punish poor people. All this and more – enjoy!
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Chevy’s electric SUV is now the best-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla. The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is slightly more expensive than the outgoing model, but GM has added new style packages for you to choose from.
GM raises 2026 Chevy Equinox EV price, adds options
The Chevy Equinox EV doesn’t need much help. Starting at just $34,995, the 2025 Chevy Equinox quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.
Entering its third year, the Equinox EV remains GM’s most affordable EV, with starting prices slightly higher at $36,495. That includes the $1,395 destination fee.
Since it’s a carryover model, there aren’t too many changes, but buyers will have several new style packages to choose from.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox LT gains a new Midnight Package, which adds black emblems, bowtie, badging, wheel caps, and 19″ black painted aluminum wheels, for $595.
There’s also a new Tech Bronze Package available on the LT and RS trims. The new option includes a Tech Bronze decal, a black nameplate, a black bowtie emblem, and 21″ Tech Bronze wheels. It costs an extra $3,595.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is now listed on GM’s website. It’s still available in LT1, LT2, and RS trims with Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and All Wheel Drive (AWD) powertrain options.
The base 2026 LT FWD trim starts at $36,495 with up to 319 miles of range, including a $1,395 destination fee. Upgrading to AWD costs an extra $5,300, with a slightly shorter range of 307 miles.
| Chevy Equinox EV trim | 2025 Starting Price | 2026 Starting Price | EPA-estimated Range |
| LT 1 FWD | $34,995 | $36,495 | 319 miles |
| LT 1 AWD | $38,295 | $39,795 | 307 miles |
| LT 2 FWD | $43,295 | $43,295 | 319 miles |
| LT 2 AWD | $46,595 | $46,595 | 307 miles |
| RS FWD | $44,795 | $45,595 | 319 miles |
| RS AWD | $48,095 | $48,895 | 307 miles |
Following another record quarter of EV sales in Q3, GM said that the Chevy Equinox EV was the best-selling non-Tesla electric vehicle in the US.
With several new affordable EVs arriving, including the new Nissan LEAF, will the Equinox continue to be a top seller in 2026? It will be interesting to see where the rankings end up at this time next year.
Wondering if Chevy’s electric SUV lives up to the hype? You can use our link to find 2025 and 2026 Chevy Equinox EV models near you and try it out for yourself.
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A surge in EV charging cable thefts is putting the reliability of the UK’s charging network at risk and undermining trust among drivers. InstaVolt is the UK’s largest network of fast chargers, and over the past two years, nearly 1,000 of its charging stations (it has over 2,100, so nearly 50%) have been targeted by cable thieves. But now InstaVolt is fighting back with GPS tracking.
Bafflingly, the incentive for thieves is low-value scrap: There’s only about £25 ($33) worth of copper inside a charging cable. But the damage is costly – around £1,000 ($1,342) per site for repairs.
In April, InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane told the BBC that the thefts had cost his company about £410,000 ($550,150) since November 2023. Lane said, “This isn’t just an InstaVolt problem; this is an industry problem. The biggest impact is on drivers.”
InstaVolt has reinforced its cables with Kevlar sheaths, making them harder to cut. It has also rolled out live GPS tracking across its network on its charging cables in partnership with GPS supplier Trackit247. The technology provides location updates every three seconds, allowing the company to detect, trace, and recover stolen cables in real time.
Each charging cable is geo-fenced to its charger, so an alert is immediately triggered if it moves outside the designated area. InstaVolt’s 24/7 security center receives instant notifications by text, email, and phone, and it can coordinate directly with the police.
The system’s biggest advantage is live tracking in transit. If a thief drives off with a charging cable, police can follow its exact route and move in fast, increasing the chance of recovery and arrest. Instavolt’s GPS technology marks a major step forward in protecting critical EV infrastructure, deterring theft, and enabling quick response when it happens.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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