Tag Archives: electric car

California Adds Electrical Vehicle Incentives

Posted on December 19, 2014 | 1 comment

California’s plug-in electric vehicle drivers are about to get new financial perks.

Members of the California Public Utilities Commission are scheduled to sign off today on guidelines for an annual credit against utility bills or a one-time vehicle rebate. The commission will let individual utilities decide which incentive to offer.

Southern California Edison is proposing a one-time rebate of $250 to $350 per new vehicle owner.

San Diego Gas & Electric intends to provide an annual bill credit but declined to say how much. “We just don’t have any specific numbers at this point. It’s too early,” said Erin Coller, an SDG&E spokeswoman. “The numbers are not available right now.”

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Posted in energy savings

Tagged electric car, rebates, tax rebates

Cheap leases offered to spur electric car sales

Posted on June 23, 2013 | Leave a comment

DETROIT—Auto companies are hoping lower lease prices can put a charge into sluggish sales of electric cars.Honda announced Thursday that it’s slashing the monthly lease cost of its tiny Fit EV by one third, following similar moves by other automakers. Honda also is throwing in other goodies, such as a free home charging station and unlimited mileage.

Electric vehicles once were billed as the answer to high gas prices and dependence on foreign oil. But U.S. oil production is rising, gas supplies are abundant and pump prices have remained relatively stable the past three years, making consumers reluctant to switch from internal combustion engines. There’s also the worry that an electric car could run out of juice on longer trips.

As a result, electric car sales, while growing, are only a tiny fraction of overall U.S. auto sales. Automakers sold just over 12,000 pure-electric vehicles in the U.S. through April, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank and Tesla Motors. That’s less than 1 percent of the 4.97 million cars and trucks sold during the same period.

Still, automakers have rolled out new electric models, increasing the competitive pressure.

Automakers generally lose money on electric cars because the technology is so new and the batteries are costly. But they have been subsidizing sales by lowering prices. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said earlier this year that his company will lose $10,000 on every Fiat 500 electric vehicle it sells. Others have reported similar losses.

With the Fit EV, Honda is offering a $259 per month lease, down $130 from the initial $389 per month offer when the car went on sale in July of last year. The reduced lease price starts June 1 and will apply to existing EV leases, Honda said.

The three-year lease requires no money down and comes with unlimited mileage, free routine maintenance, collision insurance coverage and a free 240-volt home charging station, the company said Thursday. The charging station normally costs $995. The car buyer must take care of installation.

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Tesla Motors Stands Behind Its Battery With New Warrenty

Posted on May 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

Hoping to make drivers more comfortable with electric cars, Tesla Motors announced Friday that it will cover the cost of repairing the batteries on its Model S sedan in every situation other than a collision or owner tampering.

Elon Musk and the Model S

“As long as you don’t try to destroy it, it’s covered,” said Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Musk also announced that the company would create a fleet of 100 “loaner” cars that Model S owners can drive while their own sedans are in the shop. The loaners will be the most expensive version of the Model S that Tesla makes, with the most features and best battery range. If a Model S owner likes the loaner better than his own car, he can trade in his original sedan and buy the loaner.

Will an at-home charging station add value to your home? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your value questions.

The loaners will sell at a slight discount to a new Model S Performance sedan, which starts at $94,900. Loaner prices will drop 1 percent for every month of age and $1 for every mile driven. A valet will deliver the loaner to a Model S owner and pick up the car that needs repair, part of what Musk called “better than invisible” service.