Calif. Offers Another Subsidy for Volt… With Owners Given Free Pass for Carpool Lane
- Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:32pm by
Becket Adams
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Do you remember when the Obama administration used more than 5 billion in taxpayer dollars to “jumpstart” the electric vehicle (EV) industry? Do you know what happened? Chevy Volt sales fell flat.
Do you remember when the Obama administration tried to boost Chevy Volt sales by offering a $7,500 taxpayer-funded rebate? Do you remember what happened? The Volt didn’t sell.
So, in an effort to correct this mistake, the Obama administration, under its latest budget plan, proposed increasing the subsidy from $7,500 to $10,000. Keep in mind this proposed increase, should it be given the “okay,” and the administration’s vow to put 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 could cost taxpayers up to $10 billion in subsidies, according to Scott Rasmussen. Unsurprisingly, according to a Rasmussen poll, most Americans are against the proposal.
But perhaps we should stress this one more time: even with generous taxpayer-funded government subsidies and a proposed rebate increase, Chevy Volt sales have been flat.
So, now would be a good time to offer another taxpayer-backed purchasing incentive, right? Well, it is if you’re a Californian. Yep, California (of course) is offering more incentives to get people to buy the Chevy Volt.
“[L]ow emission model[s] of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt electric car are on their way to California, where customers will qualify for a $1,500 state rebate [emphasis added],” writes 3d Car Shows’ Gerald Ferreira.
If you’re in California, this would bring the Volt’s purchasing incentive to $11,500 (that is, of course, if the proposed $10,000 purchasing incentive goes through). And just in case that‘s not enough to convince you to buy the EV, the state of California has also agreed that Volt drivers will be given total access to California’s carpool lanes.
“The Volts with the Low Emissions Package are certain to be a strong draw for California commuters looking to travel the state’s notoriously congested freeways in the carpool lane,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing.
According to Chevy, Southern California‘s HOV lanes shave about 36 minutes off the average driver’s commute.
“California has more than 1,400 miles of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes. Originally restricted to vehicles with two or more occupants to help minimize congestion, the lanes are now open to single occupancy use by owners of advanced, low-emission vehicles,” writes Ferreira.
Other states (including Florida, Georgia, and New York) are also considering giving Volt drivers a free pass on the carpool lanes. The new low-emission Volts started shipping from the GM plant in Detroit this week and will be on display in about 140 dealerships before the end of the month.
However, it should be noted that the idea of a state giving preferential treatment to hybrid or “clean energy” vehicles is neither new nor extraordinary. Many states, California included, have given HOV-passes to “green energy” vehicles. But that’s not the interesting part of the story: it’s the $1,500 state rebate, on top of the already generous $7,500 federal rebate, that should surprise some people.
So, let’s do a recap of the numbers. Let’s assume that the proposed $10,000 purchasing incentive doesn’t go through. Where, exactly, do potential Chevy Volt customers stand?
“California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project also will provide a $1500 state tax rebate for the 2012 Chevrolet Volt,” writes Jake Holmes of Automobile Magazine. “That’s in addition to the $7500 tax rebate offered by the federal government. Combined, those potentially reduce the cost of a new Volt to just $30,995 (the 2012 Volt starts at $39,9995 after an $850 destination charge).”
(H/T: WZ)
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Comments (100)
cavyR
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:40pmFree fire extinguishers, too!
Report Post »michael48
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:13pmrebate=I.O.U.s…goodluck suckers
Report Post »THE__JERK
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:15pmI love Jews and Israel!
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:02pmThere are going to be some ticked off folks in the carpool lane when the Volt craps out and I’m sure there will be a bunch of wrecks when they try tp paas to the right and get run over. This is a very bad idea. The only Volt in our little town is in OK City for the 2nd time and both times went up there on a roll back wrecker and as of this last Sunday it has been a month. The wreckler driver, a friend knows the lawyer that got suckered into buying it – he was helping Mother nature.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:20pmOh, that’ll loosen up traffic out there alright.
Report Post »jdtanker
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:40pmCaution! Car on fire in the car pool lane!
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 3:58pmCARBQ during rush hour, oh boy !!! Mexifornia
Report Post »has a 20 hour, rush hour every day ….
Derek01
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:32pmPretty soon they will be passing them out free with welfare checks
Report Post »SoupSandwich
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:39pmAnd a smart phone and gps with all of the social services buildings marked in bright red crayon script.
Report Post »BetterNTexas
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:19pmYou know what irritates me about this?
My city approved special parking spaces for electric cars at the library. They aren’t equipped with charging stations–no, they are rewards for driving electric. The primo spots are right next to the library, so it’s similar to what CA is suggesting with their carpool lanes.
Of the two of us–the person driving electric or the person driving a “gas guzzler”–which of us is paying more in taxes to support the roads we drive on? Why, that would be the gas guzzler. If they are paying more to the govt to maintain and build the local infrastructure, why do they have to be relegated to the back of the parking lot?
Which leads me to this–mark my words Californians: Your freeways will turn into toll roads soon enough. If CA continues to reward the people who aren’t paying taxes (in this case gas taxes) the govt is going to come to you hat in hand to say, “Gee. We can’t pay for our transportation system. We’re going to have to strap a GPS on your car and charge you by the mile. It’s the only thing we can do.” An increase in carpooling, electric vehicles and public transportation only serves to drop the revenue from gas tax. And as we all know, the govt uses gas taxes as slush funds to pay for their pet projects. You think they won’t go to toll roads to protect that slush fund?
The govt will push you to go “green” and then put chains on you for doing it. Think it can’t happen? It’s being pushed here in Texas by none
Report Post »BetterNTexas
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:35pmnone other than Rick Perry.
Report Post »pg3712
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:19pmI’m told that Toyota Prius owners already have access to HOV lanes in CA.
Report Post »JustJP
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:51pmNot anymore.
Report Post »ewil99
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:18pmIf California sees “gas guzzlers” as the problem, and the carpool lane “shaves 30 minutes of of the travel time,” then shouldn’t the lanes be open to those with the biggest carbon footprint?????? Hmmmmm
Report Post »PPMStudios
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:06pmThat’s a good point!
Report Post »REPUB1
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:14pmgive me my 10 thousand dollars and keep that piece of crap for congress to use and the entire OBUMMER Family. and let them pay for their own Electricity bills too.
Report Post »2theADDLED
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 6:36pmWhat recourse do the buyers who got suckered into buying one of these you can try to sell it if you could find another sucker. You can‘t trade it in the dealers don’t want them on their lots. File a Lemon lawsuit good luck on that one it will drug out for years. The best option is to have a fire just make sure it’s insured.
Report Post »pap pap
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:12pmThat Kool-Aid must be really really good in Calipornia.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:17pmIt’s a mess but, the medical marjuana keeps them calm…unless the Doritos run out.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:21pmLOL .. that should slow down the carpool lane!
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:55pm@Gonzo
Don‘t forget The ’Dew. Dopers love their Mountain Dew.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:10pmDo they have charging staions in the carpool lane for all the voltless Volts?
Report Post »RedSoloCup
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:11pmNo, but fire hose stations.
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 4:46pmOK the Volt is not an electric vehicle, not in the truest sense of the word. It is a “HYBRID”, just like the Prius it has a gasoline engine that kicks in to drive the car when the battery loses its charge. According to Fox Business News’s Eric Bolling, whom Chevrolet gave a Volt to for a few days to mollify his intense dislike for the Volt, he only strengthened it since the battery ran out at 26 miles after an overnight full recharge. What he found out is that if you use the Accessories like the radio and heater and headlights etc it drains the battery faster, OOOOPsy!
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:09pmWhy is it that the “commie” state (California) would give more incentive for the “commie” car, the Chevy Volt? What California needs, and any other state that does this, is a re – volt of drivers by taking possession of the HOV lanes. My view on HOV lanes is that they are unconstitutional anyway, on the grounds that every driver’s tax dollars pays for them, whether driving solo or with passengers! Take back YOUR roads damn it!
Report Post »SquidVetOhio
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:08pmAttention liberals of the church of global warming:
By doing this you have now caused less people to carpool because of increased carpool lane traffic (at a slower speed).
Which in turn leads to more cars on the road.
Which leads to more “greenhouse gases”.
Which leads to the end of mankind.
Thus saith the Ted Dansen.
Ha haha ha ha ha…..
Report Post »agayoume
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:08pmVolt! Electric car? Where do get electricity from? Oil or coal or nuclear!!! Wind?? Sorry not enough old farts to generate winds so back to oil(drill baby drill) coal(burn baby burn) nuclear(kill hippies kill)
Report Post »REPUB1
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:16pmVERY NICE GOOD work yuk yuk yuk.
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:07pmahhh the modern Edson, Fiero, Delorian and Pinto……It’s terrifying how long garbage lasts and a politicain continues to throw good money after bad!!! In fact, when the government is involved these nasty “cancers” last longer than they should!!!!
Report Post »Kankokage
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:22pmI take issue with the Delorian being in that list. LONG LIVE THE STAINLESS STEEL CAR OF LEGEND!
Report Post »Brooke Lorren
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 5:54pmHey, I like the Delorian… especially if you apply 9.8 gigawatts of power to it while driving 88…
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:06pmCommunism pays….if only for a short while.
Report Post »Spyderco
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:05pmBuyers will also get a free visit to the burn ward of their local hospital who will contact goverment officals to decide on the best treatment if any!! Come on down!!!!
Report Post »Kankokage
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:03pmI think when you need government subsidies to sell a car in a society that loves cars, you have failed.
Report Post »Abel22
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:48pmWell put
Report Post »PrfctlyFrank
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:03pmthis stuff has nothing to do with cars. This is about government power. When you demobilize your society, you end up with a society that is very easy to control. We should never forget that this is all about government control, nothing more then that.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:00pm.
Another Free Lunch……
Why don‘t ya’ll just go ahead and give us all one, and get it over with already……….
I‘ll park it in the driveway next to my ’70 Hemi GTX, a real American Car……
Report Post »mohavegreen
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:08pmI’ve my Hemi in a boat where you can see and hear it, like a gun outside a wifebeatear shirt, have it and us it.
Report Post »70S_KIDS_FIGHTING_SOCIALISM
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:51pmBuying a volt is the same as putting on the Bill Engvall “I’M STUPID” sign. At least we will be able to recognize the cretins.
Report Post »TEA PARTY UNTOUCHABLES!!!!!!!!!
mohavegreen
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:50pmRolling obstruction to traffic brought to Oz by wonderful world of liberalisms mumbo jumbo where an idea is the end and execution scorned.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:48pmall the wealthy Hollyweird obamadegenerates should be made to drive ONLY these ugly little obamacommie cars. every single one of them and their little commie uber-wealthy families should be strapped in and sent down those packed CA highways and right down thru the CA ghettoes. see how long they last in obama’s weeble commie car.
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:46pmDoes this mean Encinom can take his blow-up doll Monicne out of the front passenger seat if he buys one?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:28pmCute! No I take that back .. I just got the mental image.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:43pmOnce more the Communist Democratic Republic of California shows the utter imbecillic ability only proportional to the Federal government.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:40pmcalifornia is like a bowl of cereal
once you remove the fruits and nuts , you still have the flakes
and no, i still wont buy the death trap volt
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:39pmobama’s ugly little weeble cars are not only fiery battery death traps, but useless symbols of obamacommunism as well. you could not pay us to take one, not even for target practice.
like the rest of obama’s soros-agenda to out-do their hero Hitler, obama was trying to recreate Hitler’s automotive success.. the people’s car. the VW. …so the rabid animal obama fails, again.
Report Post »THXll38
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:39pmThey can take that car and shove it up Obama’s ass.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 12:50pmpretty sure that is exactly where they backed it out of.
Report Post »bassist237
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 1:08pmHahaha… I just laughed, a lot. Thank you for that.
Report Post »countryfirst
Posted on February 28, 2012 at 2:50pmThat is cruel and very uncalled for, when there is more than sufficient room in MO A$$
Report Post »