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The Inflation Reduction Act, the major climate bill, was signed today, changing the availability of electric vehicle tax credits. Now, only EVs assembled in North America qualify for the credits. Today the US government released a preliminary list of which vehicles currently qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit.

There are a number of provisions in the new climate bill affecting the availability of EV credits, and those provisions will phase in over the coming months and years. Most of them are focused on bringing more EV and battery production to the US.

But the phase-in times of various provisions have created a lot of confusion in the EV community about which vehicles will qualify and when.

The Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center has released the list of vehicles with final assembly in North America, and we’ve copied the list below.

We’ve added links where possible so you can search local dealer inventory for the car you’re looking for. We’ve also added our own notes in the “note” column to clarify which models qualify.

The list does include vehicles that are assembled in North America but for which the manufacturers are currently over the 200K unit cap on the previous credit. That cap is lifted on January 1, 2023, so cars tagged as “manufacturer sales cap met” will not qualify for the electric car tax credit until next year.

Note that this list is not written in stone, and will change with the phase-in of other provisions of the new EV tax credit or as manufacturers change their production plans (for example, VW moving 2023 ID.4 production to Tennessee). We can’t guarantee that any given customer will get access to the credit and are providing the best information we can.

Further, some models may change production mid-year or are based on specific trim levels, so you should confirm that your individual vehicle was assembled in a North American plant. The AFDC recommends that you use the NHTSA VIN decoder on your VIN to confirm that it was assembled in North America. The country name of the final assembly plant can be found under “plant information” at the bottom of the page.

Additionally, the IRS has released a page explaining section 30D of the Internal Revenue Code, which is the section that contains the EV tax credit. This includes a description of what a “written binding contract” is, which allowed EV buyers to take the “old” credit if they signed a purchase contract before the day the IRA was signed (today).

Other requirements which have not yet phased in include battery material and critical mineral sourcing guidelines that will be developed by the IRS. The IRS must issue those guidelines by the end of this year, but from the language on the page, it feels like the IRS probably won’t issue them until December 31 (or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on our part).

Some vehicles will not qualify for the EV tax credit once the IRS issues its guidance, due to being above the $55K MSRP cap for cars and $80K MSRP cap for trucks. Income caps will also be put into place, meaning those earning over $150K ($225K head of household, $300K filing jointly) will not qualify.

There’s also a provision to allow buyers to take advantage of the EV tax credit upfront at the point of sale, but from our reading of the bill, that doesn’t seem to go into place until 2024. The $4,000 used vehicle credit starts in 2023, as does a commercial vehicle credit.

Electrek’s Take

The confusing nature of these new EV tax credits is unfortunate, and we wish their implementation was made a little simpler and a little less sudden. But given the difficult political situation regarding the passing of the bill, once the Senate reached a breakthrough, nobody wanted to touch the bill’s language. So, unfortunately, with half of the Senate unwilling to support any legislation that might help Americans, we got what we got.

We hope the IRS will make implementation of the new EV tax credits easier by phasing everything in at the same time, and will be responsive to public comments, which we’ll inform you about when they become available.

The number of plug-in hybrids on the list is a little unfortunate – it feels like hybrids should get a smaller portion of the credits than full EVs. But considering the battery-supply-constrained environment we’re in, PHEVs do manage to electrify more vehicles per kWh than BEVs do. So as long as people are plugging in their PHEVs and not just using the engine, they’re still a beneficial thing in terms of decarbonization.

Also, PHEV sales levels have been low for years and aren’t rising, whereas BEVs are. All-electric is just a more pleasurable experience, so we still expect this will result in fewer ICE engines on the road.

Overall, despite these difficulties, the goals of the legislation will help to address the challenges EVs are having right now (mostly supply challenges), will encourage more environmentally and socially responsible sourcing of materials, and should apply to far more individual cars on the road than the previous legislation due to removal of the per-manufacturer cap and extension for another decade.

While we’ll have some growing pains with the new EV tax credit’s structure in the coming months and years, the law includes some much-needed changes to the tax credit which should help the industry as a whole, along with lots of other climate spending and action to help bring emissions down and improve the US’s position in the green energy economy of the future, so on balance, we’re happy about the law. It’s nice to see big climate action for once. Now we just need to push for more.

Frequently Asked Questions on the EV tax credit

How much is the electric car tax credit?

Cars assembled in North America can qualify for up to $7,500 in federal EV tax credits – $3,750 if the battery components were built in North America, and $3,750 if “critical minerals” in the battery are sourced from the US or countries the US has free trade agreements with.

When does the new EV tax credit start?

It has already started, though various provisions will phase in over the next months and years. The $55k/$80k price caps and 150k/300 income cap go into effect in 2023, and GM and Tesla vehicles will start qualifying for renewed credits in 2023. Cars assembled outside of NA already do not qualify for tax credits, unless a purchase agreement was signed before 8/16/22. Battery component restrictions go into effect in 2023 as well.

What cars qualify for the EV tax credit?

NA-assembled cars qualify for the EV tax credit, though in 2023 this will start depending on their price and where their battery components and critical minerals were sourced. The table above in this article shows a list of EVs and PHEVs assembled in NA, though we won’t know specifics on battery components and critical minerals until the IRS issues their guidance at end of year.

How to claim the $7,500 EV tax credit?

The IRS will release a form (this is last year’s) to fill out and file with your tax return. Starting in 2024, the credit will be claimable upfront at the time of purchase, without needing to file a tax return after the fact. The IRS is still working out the specifics.

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Illinois awards $18.4M in restored NEVI funds to build EV charging stations

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Illinois awards .4M in restored NEVI funds to build EV charging stations

Illinois is expanding its EV charging network with $18.4 million in federal grants that were restored after being unlawfully frozen by the Trump administration. The grants come from the second round of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which supports Illinois’s goal of registering 1 million EVs by 2030.

Governor JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced Wednesday that the money will fund 25 new fast charging stations along interstate corridors.

Each new station will include at least four DC fast charging ports, which can top up an EV from empty in under 30 minutes. In total, the projects will add 167 new charging ports across the state.

Illinois is slated to receive $148 million in NEVI funds through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Last year, the first round of awards sent $25.3 million to 37 charging station projects. With this new round, IDOT has awarded $43.8 million so far, covering 62 projects and 349 charging ports.

Pritzker said, “I’m thankful for the quick action of our attorney general in the fight to restore these funds that President Trump was unlawfully withholding. With these resources rightfully coming back to Illinois, I look forward to taking another step forward in our continued efforts to expand EV infrastructure and boost local economies across Illinois.”

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In May, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined 16 other attorneys general in suing the Federal Highway Administration for withholding the remainder of the appropriated funds. A judge in June ordered the administration to release funding appropriated to Illinois and 13 other states. Raoul said, “I am pleased that our coalition’s work has resulted in this money finally reaching Illinois, which ultimately boosts our state’s economy.”

Illinois EPA Director James Jennings noted that these NEVI-funded stations will complement the more than 450 charging stations already supported by the state. “Together, state agencies are working to offer EV drivers multiple charging options at numerous locations, ensuring accessible and convenient travel throughout Illinois.”

The 25 projects selected were chosen through a competitive process last fall. IDOT says the next round of NEVI funding applications will open in late 2025.

Read more: The biggest solar farm east of the Mississippi is now powering Chicago


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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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Is Rivian mulling the idea of offering customers a purple exterior?

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Is Rivian mulling the idea of offering customers a purple exterior?

A Rivian owner and EV enthusiast recently shared images of a purple R1S Quad out in public with manufacturer plates. Could it be a new exterior color Rivian will offer customers, or is this just a rare shade applied to a one-off test vehicle? Regardless of its future, a purple Rivian is already garnering plenty of comments from the online community.

  • Purple Rivian
  • Purple Rivian

Rivian owner shares images of a purple R1S Quad

Hilbert (@Hilbe) shared the three images above on X, with the caption, “What do you think Rivian will name this color? Wrong answers only.” The answers are funny, and many are precisely what you probably imagined.

If you immediately thought Grimace from McDonald’s lore, so did I and several commenters to Hilbert’s post. Upon doing some digging, I found that images of this exact purple Rivian were actually leaked eight months ago, making their way through the Rivian community on Reddit. See below:

As you can see from the second image above, this Quad Motor R1S is donning manufacturer plates, meaning this isn’t a custom paint job from a personal owner, but a bona fide model still owned and operated by Rivian.

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Furthermore, those plates are the same in multiple sightings, hinting that there is currently only one purple Rivian R1S Quad out in the world (at least on public roads).

Whether this is just a unique color the paint shop experimented with on a one-of-a-kind test vehicle or could become an actual option in the Gear Shop remains unclear at this time, although we did reach out to a representative for Rivian for more details and received an expected response:

We have nothing to add. As you know, we don’t comment on any speculation.

They didn’t say that purple was off the table (or the configurator!)

Rivian’s R1S and R1T configurator could use purple or any other unique exterior color options, as its boldest currently available option is “Rivian Blue.” Be sure to let us know what you think about a purple Rivian in the comments, much like X users did for Chris Hilbert, of which I read through all 130+ and have a few to highlight below.

I will stick to the PG responses and leave out anything related to an eggplant emoji and how that may have anything to do with any fictional purple characters (you sick puppies). Here we go:

  • “Gross Purple”
  • “Barney”
  • “Purple Rain”
  • “Plum Crazy”
  • “Thanos Purple”
  • “Violet Beauregarde”
  • “Purivian”
  • “Electric Eggplant”
  • “Grape Ape”
  • “Amethyst Twilight”
  • “Afternoon Purple IV”
  • “Grape Escape”
  • and last but not least… “Poiple.”

What would you call this shade? Should Rivian bring purple to the Gear Shop configurator? Let us know in the comments below. As a Rivian owner, I highly recommend doing a test drive to see what this brand is about. Afterward, email me and let me know what you thought of your ride. I’m interested to hear about it!

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EVs and batteries fuel the US VPP boom, hitting 37.5 GW in 2025

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EVs and batteries fuel the US VPP boom, hitting 37.5 GW in 2025

The US virtual power plant (VPP) market is growing fast, with 37.5 gigawatts of behind-the-meter flexible capacity now online, according to a new Wood Mackenzie report. VPPs connect small energy systems and smart devices into a single network managed by an energy company or utility. That can include residential solar panels, battery storage, EVs, and smart thermostats. When the grid needs help during peak demand or emergencies, they can be tapped – and you get paid for participating.

Wood Mackenzie’s “2025 North America Virtual Power Plant Market” report shows that the market is expanding more broadly than deeply. The number of company deployments, unique buyers (offtakers), and market and utility programs each grew by more than 33% in the past year. But total capacity grew at a slower pace – just under 14%. “Utility program caps, capacity accreditation reforms, and market barriers have prevented capacity from growing as fast as market activity,” said Ben Hertz-Shargel, global head of grid edge at Wood Mackenzie.

Residential VPP customers are gaining ground

Residential customers are making a bigger dent in wholesale market capacity, increasing their share to 10.2% from 8.8% in 2024. But small customers still face roadblocks, mainly due to limits on data access for enrollment and market settlement.

Battery storage and EVs are also playing a bigger role. Deployments that include batteries or EVs now account for 61% as many as those that include smart thermostats, which have long dominated VPP programs.

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Leading states and markets

California, Texas, New York, and Massachusetts are leading the pack, making up 37% of all VPP deployments. In wholesale markets, PJM (which manages the electric grid for 13 states and DC) and ERCOT (the Texas grid), both home to massive data center commitments, also have the highest disclosed VPP offtake capacity. “While data centers are the source of new load, there’s an enormous opportunity to tap VPPs as the new source of grid flexibility,” Hertz-Shargel said.

Offtake growth and new business models

The top 25 VPP offtakers each procured more than 100 megawatts this year. Over half of all offtakers expanded their deployments by at least 30% compared to last year. That’s fueling the rise of a new “independent distributed power producer” model, where companies aim to use grid service revenue and energy arbitrage to finance third-party-owned storage for electricity retailers.

Policy pushback

Not everyone is on board with how utilities are approaching distributed energy resources (DERs). Many VPP aggregators and software providers oppose utilities putting DERs into their rate base under the Distributed Capacity Procurement model.* “This model is seen as limiting access of private capital and aggregators from the DER market, rather than leveraging customer and third-party-owned resources,” Hertz-Shargel explained. He added that most wholesale market experts believe FERC Order 2222 was a missed opportunity and won’t significantly improve market access.

*I really like this model, personally. I leased two Tesla Powerwalls under Green Mountain Power’s Lease Energy Storage program in Vermont for $55 a month, and it’s an excellent VPP program that’s grown much more rapidly than other models, such as bring-your-own batteries.

Read more: California’s grid gets a record power assist from a 100k home battery fleet


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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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