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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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2016 Plug In EV Sales up 19% through June

2016 is turning into a boom year for plug in electric vehicles!  According to InsideEV’s monthly sales scorecard, electrified vehicle sales are up +19% (+10,455 units) vs. sales through mid-2015 reaching almost 65,000 in sales.  The month of June recorded the highest sales of any month on record breaking 15,000 in sales. InsideEVs Monthly Plug-In Sales Scorecard

Behind the EV resurgence are four factors:

1). Tesla. Combined sales of Model S and Model X have topped 19,000 units commanding just under 30% of the EV market.  Model X reached almost 7,000 units and Model S, refreshed in April, sold just over 12,000 new vehicles through June. The 373,000 Model III advance deposits provide a nice tailwind, as does the recent price reduction on the 2016 Model S (about $5,000 less than a comparably equipped 2015:  see our earlier post (New Tesla Model S 60: A good value?).

2). VOLT.  The all  new 2017 Chevrolet VOLT is outselling it’s Gen 1 model by 73% with sales just under 10,000 vehicles through mid-year.  Plug-In hybrid buyers know that the VOLT is their best option for daily electric commutes and the range to go the distance (400 miles).  Chevrolet dealers might be getting better at selling the new VOLT; or at least not ‘unselling’it to well educated PHEV buyers.

3). Ford. Ford’s Energi models (C-Max and Fusion) along with the Gen 1 Ford Focus Electric managed to grow unit sales +26%. Ford, through CEO Mark Fields, has committed to invest $4.5 Billion to electrify its product line and offer at least 13 electric models in the near future.  Watch the Blue Oval.

4). New EV offerings in total helped support Plug In growth. BMW X5 Drive40e, Audi A3 E-tron, Volvo XC90, VW eGolf and Hyundai Sonata plug in all have added just under 9,000 vehicles through mid-2016. Most of these models did not exist in early 2015.

Two EV have lost significant sales base in 2016: Nissan LEAF (under 6,000 units/-41%) and BMW i3 (under 3,000 units/-36%). Nissan needs to launch the GEN 2 LEAF as soon as possible and BMW may need to adjust the value equation for its i3. At $42-50,000 the 84-110 mile EV is crossing into Tesla territory.

What can we conclude from 2016 so far:  new product with longer range is driving market growth and the impact of ‘cheap’ gasoline appears to be part of the history of 2015 Plug In EV sales. Growing charging infrastructure is building confidence in EVs and is slowly chipping away at ‘range anxiety disease’. Major public utilities commitments to building out EV charging infrastructure, especially in California and in the Pacific Northwest is a harbinger of what can be expected across the US: public/private enterprise to support EV charging station build out.

Tesla inventories are reportedly a tad high and the Detroit and Asian Automakers always run ‘end of model year’ clearance sales. Now might just be your time to get into an EV metro Atlantans!


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Tesla Nation: Atlanta Joins In!

Tesla Nation has officially begun! Since it’s March 31st official launch, Tesla reports over 250,000 $1,000 pre-order deposits have been made for its $35,000 base price ($42,000 well equipped said Tesla CEO Elon Musk) Model III.  While smaller, and half the price of the original Model S 60 kWh model, it delivers the same range (215 vs. 208), acceleration (0-60 in under 6 seconds) and overall driving characteristics of its larger brother! Impressive. The Model III will offer AutoPilot suite standard and Supercharger capable with Musk being a bit vague on ‘free’ vs. ‘pay as you go’. Atlanta EVDC is betting it will be free. Why? Because Musk committed to doubling  the high speed Supercharger network and quadrupling ‘destination charging’ locations by the end of 2017 (7,000 of each).

Hundreds of Atlantans lined up at the Tesla Decatur, Lenox and Marietta stores to put down their $1,000 deposits and talk with current Model S and X owners.

tesla

Photo Credit: Michael Beinenson

Never in automotive history have that many deposits been made for a new automotive model.  Automotive dealers may order say 30,000 vehicles for a new launch across thousands of ‘dealer points’ but never before have individuals been able to accomplish this feat.Musk is also doubling the ‘store’ count to about 440 by end of next year with commensurate service centers. So Tesla is making all the right moves to get ready for the Model III.

If you missed the launch event, here’s a link to the 22 minute video – worth the watch!

Tesla Model III Launch Tesla Hawthorne CA Design Studio


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Why Re-Elect Tim Echols to the Georgia Public Service Commission?

Seems being an incumbent in any office these days is a liability.  People know what you stand for, can evaluate your decisions and voting record and challengers can unfortunately mis-appropriate your words to sway voters against you.

Sadly, that is exactly what one of the contenders for Public Service Commission is doing to Tim G. Echols.  Rather than clearly stating her own position and why she would be the better candidate, this contender has taken Tim’s ardent support for electric vehicles in Georgia and oddly turned it into something it never was:  a quest to line Tim’s own pockets with a ‘free car’.

If you know Tim even in the slightest, you know that, is not how he rolls!

Like many of us, through the availability of the Zero Emission Vehicle tax credit, Tim was able to afford a $35,000+ first generation electric vehicle and experience for himself the potential for electrification of the automobile and yes help EVangelize (as I do) the need for EVs in Georgia and to help combat non-attainment air quality in metro Atlanta.

Tim fought for the tax credit to the very end of the 2015 Georgia General Assembly Legislative Session, working with a diverse team spanning CleanCities Georgia, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and the EV Club of the South to retain some level of tax incentive to realize the benefits of more drivers in Georgia behind the wheel of an electric vehicle.

Where were his opponents a year ago on this issue?  Silent.

Tim has invested a lot of time learning about renewable energy sources and the economics behind these technologies.  He hosts public forums, tirelessly travels around the State of Georgia advocating for these renewable resources and yes, has built the appropriate relationships with our state’s largest providers of energy: he challenges them!

So Georgia voters have a decision to make on May 24th about returning Tim G. Echols to the Public Service Commission.  It’s clear how I am voting.  Look at the facts and I think it will become clear to you as well.

 


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CBC News: Atlanta Winning The Electric Car Race

Canadian Broadcasting Company’s The National came to Atlanta to learn why we have embraced electric vehicles – up to now.  Watch this terrific 10 minute video released on December 1st and hear from the Atlanta EV trail blazers as to why we have been so successful and the need to keep pushing to get the $200.00 EV Road Tax reduced, the an EV Tax Credit restored and continue to build out EV charging station infrastructure in time for the upcoming new generation of EV’s to hit Georgia’s roads!


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NRG EVgo: Confidence, Leadership, Innovation underpin Freedom Stations

On October 6th, I had the opportunity to catch up with Jeremy Desel, Communications Director for NRG’s EVgo business by phone and asked him to share some thoughts about the EVgo charging station network. Here’s what Jeremy told me:

  • EVgo’s mission is to ‘provide confidence in charging by providing all standards of EV charging – which today is Level 2/J1772, and DC Fast Charge stations offering both the Japanese ChaDEmo and European DC connectors at the Freedom Station. Desel added that this approach to EV infrastructure helps sell electric vehicles by providing the confidence that charging/recharging from EVgo will accomodate all types of EV/PHEVs.
  • EVgo is the nation’s leader in providing public charging, especially for DC Fast Charge stations. EVgo’s goal is to ensure that Freedom stations are no more than a mile from a highway corridor and are located where there are many amenities for EV drivers ranging from retail stores and restaurants to ‘well stocked’ convenience stores.
  • EVgo is committed to advancing the technology behind EV charging. Mr. Desel indicated that EVgo is looking across the EV infrastructure to bring drivers innovative solutions which result in faster charging times, more conveniently located Freedom Stations with a focus on providing adequate infrastructure within a given city yet ensuring intra city charging is conveniently located.  Their philosophy is to put the right charger at the right place.

While time ran out before we could discuss metro Atlanta and Georgia specifically, NRG eVgo Site Developer for Atlanta Metropolitan Area Jules Toraya, provided the graphic below depicting current and future installations of DC Fast Chargers in metro Atlanta and the outlying areas (Braselton, Dawsonville, Calhoun).  Looks like EVgo is going to have Atlanta and Georgia EV drivers well covered!

EVGo Atlanta network pic

Check out what’s new at NRG’s EVgo at NRG EVgo website


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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!


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This Week’s Electric Vehicle Headlines in Georgia – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The March 27, 2015 issue of The Atlanta Business Chronicle was laden with articles covering the Electric Vehicle business in Georgia. Depending upon where you sat on the issue of EVs in Georgia, you felt good, bad or just ugly.

Good:  Tesla direct sale bill was approved by both houses and sent to Governor Deal for signature.  This lifts the current 150 ‘custom car’ restriction from Tesla (and new owner hassle of exchanging a California Title for a Georgia one) and permits unlimited direct sales through a maximum of 5 Tesla stores in Georgia.  By today’s count (Marietta , Decatur Sales/Service and Lenox Gallery) that permits at least two more sales/service stores if the Gallery is counted in the total of five.  This is great news for current and future Tesla owners, who can now enjoy unimpeded access to the Model S, forthcoming Model X and planned Model III.  Rep. Chuck Martin introduced this bill.

Bad:  All efforts to advance a compromise reduced EV tax credit, with phase out and annual budget caps has failed to find any support in the Georgia Assembly.  Despite hundreds of calls, emails, signed petitions and personal visits to legislators, and manufacturer ride and drive events, Rep Ben Harbin (HB 220) and Rep Don Parsons (HB 200) provided the only support for EV or EVSE tax credits. Sadly, Parsons’ clarification bill for EV charging station tax credit eligability passed the House but could not find a quorem in the Senate on March 26th to vote on it.  On the road use fee, Rep John Albers desparately tried to amend the bill to reduce the fee to $95.00 which failed. As the ABC reported, House Transportation Committee Chair Rep Jay Roberts, basically just made up the $200.00 EV road user fee – doubling the current first time AFV registration fee of $85.00 to $170.00 and rounding up to $200.00.

Georgia’s national rank in math?

Ugly:  While the debate about the elimination of Georgia’s ZEV $5,000 tax credit is not finished, it’s fate, and that of a $200.00/year road user fee are tied to that of the state’s $1.5 Billion Transportation Bill.  Governor Nathan Deal is on record favoring the House version (HB 170). A House-Senate Conference committee must produce a compromise Bill before the planned end of the 2015-16 Legislative session on Thursday April 2, 2015. Governor Deal has already put the Georgia Assembly on notice that he will call them back into session to produce a satisfactory Bill for the Governor to sign.

On a final note, KIA announced that it would introduce the 2015 KIA SOUL EV into Georgia.  This same week, the ABC reported, Governor Deal did accept the keys to a $69,000 2015 KIA sedan, in support of the West Point GA KIA manufacturing plant.  We just wonder why Governor Deal did not get the keys to the KIA SOUL EV?

ABC EV Headlines March 27 2015