Motorheads are slowly showing interest in EVs #automotive
Posted By RichC on August 20, 2022
My social participation in automotive groups and forums that were common for me decades ago (CinciTDI, TDIClub, etc) have shifted to social media friends on Facebook groups (not so much anymore) and Twitter (daily). Those contacts include a bunch of automotive journalist as well as people just interested in cars and trucks.
The conversations has shifted from talking about late model internal combustion powered vehicles and older classic cars, to close to a 50/50 mix nowadays as hybrids and electric vehicles. EV news is taking over much of the “new car” conversation and it is pretty obvious to me that EVs will be the dominate vehicle for personal transportation … and likely be the majority of new car sales in a very short time.
My son-in-law Drew has been an early adopter and has enjoyed his Tesla Model 3 from day one. Although he occasionally wishes that he had the larger battery, it has been near perfect for his daily commuting and occasional road trips (requires a little forethought and planning due to a charging stop or two). The other day, he sent me a updated permit (above) for West Chester Twp, Ohio that could prove to make our regular grocery store an even busier location … and a great place for a quick charge. Who knows, an EV may eventually be in our future … although I still have a little range anxiety and would prefer a plug-in hybrid.
The latest “Inflation Reduction” bill (cough, cough) passed by DEMs only (with VP Harris as a tie-breaker) has incentives in the spending bill to promote even more EVs in their push to get Americans off of fossil fuels. The current manufacturing restrictions, on top 
of the already very high price for a new electric vehicle, will make buying a new EV difficult for average workers but perhaps this will change as manufacturers ramp up production … and/or send their lobbyists to bend the ears of politicians in Washington DC.
For an EV buyer to qualify for the full credit, 40% of the metals used in a vehicle’s battery must come from North America. By 2027, that required threshold would reach 80%.
If the metals requirement isn’t met, the automaker and its buyers would be eligible for half the tax credit, $3,750.
A separate rule would require that half the batteries’ value must be manufactured or assembled in the North America. If not, the rest of the tax credit would be lost. Those requirements also grow stricter each year, eventually reaching 100% in 2029.
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