Back in the distant past, sometimes last year, the prices of electric cars turned out to be so high that they could have been just for rich people.
Or technologically savvy first adopters. Or both.
Oddly enough, this is no longer the case. Electric car prices have fallen. In the case of the Nissan Leaf, the decline was rapid. Like in ka-boom. According to the link, the base model is $ 21,300 with an asterisk, which says "net value after federal tax savings."
That federal tax savings can be up to $ 7,500, depending on which model was purchased. However, not bad.
Jq public calls
I first heard about it as a caller, whom I called Nathan. It was a random inquiry to the registration desk in the air pollution control area of the San Joaquin Valley, where I worked as a grant processor. Usually, those with whom I speak want to know about the grants for the replacement of heavy trucks, bread and butter from the Department of Incentives in the Air District in Fresno, California.
But Nathan had something else in his mind.
“Do you still have a grant for electric cars?” He asked. I did not know anything about the program, but knowing this, this is my job. So I found out. It turns out that the district has a discount program with a drive that offers up to $ 3,000 in refunds. Hardly insignificant.
Of course, the car must be on the list. Sheet is. There are others as well, including the hybrid Honda Accord, the low emission Chevy Volt and many others. Some of them are rather obscure. A spoiler applicable must live in the San Joaquin Valley, sometimes in a hot region, defined as the southern boundary of Kern to the northern borders of the San Joaquin counties.
Permissibility
Regardless of whether buying electricity is a viable option, depends on the person and the car. Nathan went through his personal options with me. This is what I learned last year, because truckers who need to meet with California sanctions compliance dates all this time. The big question is they have to ask themselves: can I afford it?
After talking with Nathan, he made me believe that he really could. It was his second car. His wife has a pretty good economic trip, and this will be his suburban job. The leaf was what he noticed. I mentioned the look of the car. I find it less attractive. He said he was fine.
In addition to the Drive Clean grant, the Center for Sustainable Energy offers another source of funds. This is a state grant through ARB and can be up to $ 2,500. The level depends on the car. For example, RAV4 EV from Toyota receives the maximum amount.
Prices
The Nissan Leaf pricing page brings my amount up to $ 29,650. But add tax savings and other grants, and this can reduce the price by $ 12,000. May be. I will not really test the concept.
However, this is a very good deal for a car that does not need $ 50 in gas every week or a week and a half. This is what I now cry to keep my Passat on the road. Well, that and a lot of maintenance costs. I just bought a new environmentally friendly tire for $ 600 or something like that.
Of course, another electric car would be more expensive. The Tesla S model, for example, has a base price of $ 62,400. But this is a luxury car, a hot car that I've been sitting on for the past few years. Of course, I need an extreme version, a performance package for $ 87,400.
Electric cars are not for everyone, but prices seem to be dipping. Sometimes it entices more people to take the plunge.
