Atlanta Electric Vehicle Development Coalition

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Category Archives: #Repeal


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Georgia EV Registration Fee Slashed to $100- ACT NOW!

Georgia EV Registration Fee Slashed to $100 – ACT NOW!

Six members of the Georgia General Assembly have submitted HB 317 which with the stroke of a pen could slash the $200.00 Alternative Fuel Vehicles road use to $100.00, a much fairer amount to pay. See GA Assembly HB 317 here.

Who Sponsored HB 317?

Here are the six House of Representatives members who sponsored and signed on to the Bill:

  • Jones, Todd 25th – First Term Representative from Forsyth County (Cumming) on the Transportation Committee where the $200 fee originated in the 2015 General Assembly.
  • Peake, Allen 141st – 10 year Representative from Macon. 2/18 update: In response to this blog post, Rep Peake tweeted that he and his House co-sponsors would do everything they could to get this reduction in the AFV Road use fee passed in the General Assembly.  This coming week he joins Rep Scott Holcomb as a Plug In Electric Vehicle owner. Tweet to him at @AllenPeake
  • Holcomb, Scott 81st  – 6 year Representative from Dekalb County (Doraville/Chamblee). Tweet to him at @RepScottHolcomb
  •  Parsons, Don 44th  -22 year Representative from Cobb County (Marietta) and STRONG Clean Transporation supporter in past General Assembly Sessions. Representative Parsons sponsored HB 200 in 2015-2016 to support the Georgia EV charging station Tax Credit to be extended to retail and commercial businesses. Tweet him at @Don4Georgia
  •  Cantrell, Wes 22nd  – 2 year Representative from Cherokee County (Woodstock). Tweet to him @wcantrell

What Can I do?

We thank each of these Representatives for their sponsorship and support of HB 317.
But now it is your turn (Georgia readers of this blog) to take action before the General Assembly ends in late March. PLEASE contact both your House Representative and your State House Senator to express your support for HB 317 (which needs to be passed out of the Transportation Committee, be read and voted on the House floor then be sent to the Senate for their review and vote – which from past sessions is not guaranteed to happen).

How do I find my State Representative and State Senator?

To find out who YOUR state senator and state representative are, and contact info, use this excellent resource:
1. Click this link: Find Your Georgia State Rep and State Senator
2. Enter your zip.
3. Move the resulting red marker to your neighborhood.
4. Voila, legislators on right. Contact both!

What Should I tell them?

What should you tell your Representative and Senator? Great question. Here are some message points to share with both of them who represent you:
1). If you are an EV owner tell them that you are paying more than a pick up truck or SUV for road use. They do more damage to Georgia roads while emitting carbon gases.
2). You agree a road use fee that is not captured by gasoline taxes is appropriate but in line fair use representated by the $100 fee.
3). AFV’s and especially PHEVs are good for Georgia using power generated in Georgia keeping dollars in the Georgia economy.

When Should I contact my State Representative and State Senator?

But ACT TODAY – with only 20 days left in the 2017 General Assembly, this Bill needs your support to get through the House and Senate and enacted July 1, 2017


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The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia! – ZEV Tax Credit Sunsets at Midnight!

The title song to Vicki Lawrence’s 1973 Hit (followed by a 1981 movie of the same title and covered in1991 by country star Reba McIntyre) says it all today, June 30, 2015 when the ZEV Tax Credit expires after 17 years at midnight tonight.  In it’s wake has been the mad rush to buy and lease Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S and new to Georgia’s KIA Soul EV before the tax credit expires and is replaced by nothing but the $200.00 annual EV Road Use Fee enacted by House Bill 170.

This author, after investing six months fighting to retain the EV tax credit in some, reduced form (see $914 Million Reasons blog post) leased a 2015 Nissan LEAF for his son at Law School in Virginia and purchased a 2015 Tesla Model S60 for his new business Georgia EVentures, LLC which rents out EVs for extended periods.  If you can’t fight ’em, join ’em.

When all the dust clears, the elimination of the ZEV tax credit is likely to produce another 10,000 EVs on metro Atlanta roads as residents snapped up EVs in time for the tax credit.  That puts Atlanta around 25,000+ EVs on its roads, helping it maintain a Top 5 EV city ranking.

What happens in 2016?  There will be renewed effort to pass an EV tax credit, including PHEVs in the 2016 Georgia Assembly.  Some in the state even think that Chuck Martin (House R-Alpharetta) may be the sponsor of the Bill.   Speaking at the Alternative Fuel Vehicles 5th Annual Road Show (sponsored by Public Service Commissioner and indefatagible EV supporter Tim Echols) in Decatur GA, Elena Parent (Senate D-Decatur) pledged to introduce new EV tax credit legislation in the 2016 Georgia General Assembly.  Let’s hope she can find a Senator across the aisle to partner with her.  Brandon Beach (Senate R-Alpharetta) and head of the Senate Transportation Committee would be a good choice.  I shared the $914 million dollar EV opportunity with him back in mid-March.

And Georgia Power/Southern Company has stepped up to the plate, backing its portfolio of EV charging station rebates with a fleet of 32 Chevrolet VOLTs to get the word out across the State of Georgia about the power of EVs (and their new Residential Solar Power incentives).  Georgia Power is constructing over 60 fast charge and level 2 islands across the state to bring infrastructure to EVs beyond metro Atlanta.

Most exciting is the recent passage in the 114th CONGRESS of S. 1581 ‘to foster market development of clean energy fueling facilitities by steering infrastructure installation toward designated Clean Vehicle Corridors“. I’ll be watching to see if the House passes a similar Bill and a new focus on intercity/interstate Alternative Fuel Vehicles infrastructure is supported by the United States CONGRESS.

Stayed tuned and check back here as 2016 will continue to see the growth and expansion of electric vehicles and infrastructure throughout the State of Georgia!


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Guest Post: Tim Echols – “All Good Things Must Come to an End”

As Governor Nathan Deal signed the Transportation Bill which repeals the ZEV/LEV Tax Credits, Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols shares his thoughts on what to do now in this guest post.  Throughout the battle to keep some EV tax incentive, Tim has been a strong and unwavering voice in support of sustaining the growth of EV’s in Georgia. Many thanks Tim! #2016

All good things must come to an end  By Tim Echols

It is official.  The generous $5000 state tax credit for leasing or purchasing an electric vehicle is expiring June 30th.  The Governor has signed the legislation that passed both the Senate and the House at the Capitol, and would-be electric car drivers are scrambling to get their Nissan LEAF, Tesla or other pure electric vehicle before the credit disappears.

Here are some factors you should consider before buying or leasing an electric car.

First, make sure a pure electric car works for your lifestyle. I live in Athens and lease two Nissan LEAFs, and it works great for my wife and daughter who scoot in and around Athens.  When they need to go into Atlanta or drive out of state, they use my E85 car. They charge their cars in our garage and it costs about $20 per month on our electric bill.

Second, these cars have their limitations. Since I have been on the Georgia Public Service Commission, I have praised pioneers who bought or leased an essentially experimental car like a Tesla or Nissan LEAF. It is good for our environment and good for our grid. These consumers are choosing to use a “made in America” fuel too—homegrown Georgia electricity. But mark my word, you will experience “range anxiety” from time to time as you try to press the limit of the 100 mile range on the Nissan LEAF.  Tesla owners…not so much.  They just have to worry about making their giant car payment.

Third, besides costing less to operate, our Nissan LEAFs, both on a 24 month lease, save our family money.  Our monthly lease payments are about $270 per month per car.  Nissan “bakes” the $7500 federal tax credit into the transaction, and you simple file with the state department of revenue for the state credit.  Figured over 24 months, that is $208 per month, leaving us with about $62 per month out of pocket for the car.  We installed a garage charger for about $700 including labor, and the car never needs oil, water, transmission fluid…or gas.  We feel like that great deal more than compensates for the “range anxiety” we occasionally experience.

Fourth, the local economy may get a boost from this transaction too. When that tax credit comes back to you, many electric car owners use it to pay college tuition for a child, or a bill, or just put it in the bank to offset the payments.  According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, for every one percent of petroleum-based miles traveled in Georgia that is displaced by electric vehicles, approximately $201 million dollars will remain in the state of Georgia annually. Each pure electric vehicle purchased keeps $2,242 annually in the state of Georgia by fueling with electricity rather than petroleum-based products.

Finally, electric cars help our grid. What you don’t hear is that electric car owners are helping Georgia cut electricity usage, which ultimately saves everyone money. How? Many shift their energy usage to the overnight hours due to an incentive from Georgia Power for electric car owners. According to a study of 1,000 Georgia electric car owners, these customers reduced their annual bill by $180 – even though they charged their car and didn’t buy gasoline for the entire year.  This “load shifting,” as we call it at the PSC, saves them money and yet uses less “peak load” electricity resulting in cheaper bills for everyone.

Electric cars aren’t for everyone, but they work great for us. If you want to take advantage of the Georgia tax credit, you should act quickly.  Meanwhile, feel free to contact me for more information at timothyechols@gmail.com and join me at the Alternative Fueled Vehicle Roadshow coming to a city near you. See more at www.afvroadshow.com and happy motoring.

Commissioner Tim Echols serves on the Georgia Public Service Commission and leases two Nissan LEAFS. He regulates electricity, natural gas and telecom for the state of Georgia.

Editors Note:  To qualify for the $5,000 ZEV, Georgia residents must take delivery of the qualifying new vehicle (Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S or Roadster, KIA Soul EV, VW eGolf, Mitsubishi Mio) by midnight June 30, 2015.  The vehicle must be in your possession with a Motor Vehicle Purchase Agreement signifying delivery.  Contact your automotive dealer/showroom for more details.


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Georgia Zero Emission Vehicle Tax Credit Falls -9%/Filer in 2014! Georgia Legislators Miss it Again!

Data recently released from the Department of Natural Resources who oversees the Georgia ZEV and LEV tax credit program shows that tax claims grew a modest $2 million (+14%) on 25% increase in claimants. So what gives? Actual claim/filer went DOWN by -9% because the filing household could not use the entire $5,000 tax credit!  So the tax credit actually helped middle income Georgia residents afford to make the transition into an electric vehicle.

The data further shows that claims are not the $50-60 million range State Legislator Chuck Martin (R- Alpharetta) said they were.  More ‘fuzzy’ math by Georgia Legislators!

GA ZEV Claim Rate 2011-2014

If you live in Georgia, contact Governor Nathan Deal at the link below to voice your support to line item veto the repeal of the ZEV tax credit and the $200.00 annual road user fee.

Governor Nathan Deal:  https://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form


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Georgia EV Tax Credit and User Fee – Now What?

The 2015 Georgia General Assembly 40 day session is over.  What happened?  What happens now?

As expected both chambers passed HB 170 Transportation Bill which included the repeal of the $5,000 ZEV and $2,500 LEV tax credits effective July 1, 2015 and added the $200/year/EV road use fee while the legislators raised the gasoline tax to fund Georgia’s aging road infrastructure. Don Francis, Executive Director CleanCitiesGeorgia published data showing that a 3,500 lb EV would pay the same road use fee as a one and half ton SUV getting 9 miles per gallon  in gasoline tax.  As the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported on March 27, 2015, Rep. Jay Roberts, author of the HB 170 Transportation bill admitted in a committee meeting on March 12th that he made up the EV road use fee!  

Hundreds of Constituent phone calls, emails, signed petitions, and in-person meetings with legislators to address the unfair road use fee fell on deaf ears. They needed over $900 million and the EV tax credit and road use fee was easy pickings and the few EV lobbyist could not get legislators to see the unfairness of their legislation.  Georgia Legislators simply did not care. 

So now the bill goes to Governor Nathan Deal for signature, which he clearly intends to do.  Deal, as reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution on April 5, 2015, played a decisive role behind all of the legistation that mattered to him; the Transportation Bill being one of them.  The AJC reported that Deal’s lobbyists got $45 million worth of tax breaks pushed through in the final hours of the session.

Another winner? Mercedes Benz USA.  Deal got MBUSA employees sales tax free leases!  The measure was approved at 12:04 AM, past the official closing time of the 2015 legislative session.  WOW!  a $1.3 million tax break can get pushed through with nary a debate and after the close of the session!

Georgia On My Mind!  EV Owners held a Rally at the State Capitol on April 2nd and have vowed to fight the Road Use Fee and pledge to be back with a new Tax Credit for the 2016 Legislative Session.

Looks like this isn’t over just yet!