The economic recovery legislation that President Obama signed on February 17th invests more than $5 billion in plug-in vehicles and will increase the numbers and kinds of plug-in electric vehicles on the road. The President has called for one million plug-ins by 2015. The Pacific Northwest is poised to win big in this alternative to vehicles solely powered by internal combustion engines. At least nine car companies worldwide say that by 2013 they will offer plug-in vehicles that use electric motors as their primary means of propulsion, according to Plug-in America, an activist group. (See the list here.) Some will be all-electric drive vehicles (EV). Most will be plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) that use small gasoline engines as a backup. The auto companies that have announced delivery dates so far are GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and BMW. The legislation has a tax credit of up to $7,500 per vehicle. An amendment by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) extended a 10% plug-in car tax credit to all-electric motorcycles, three-wheeled enclosed electric vehicles, Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, and plug-in cars that have been converted from gas cars or hybrids such as the Toyota Prius. Tax credits were also boosted for advanced battery manufacturing and plug-vehicle infrastructure.
Egils Milbergs, executive director of the Washington Economic Development Commission noted, "The legislation is a significant investment toward reducing our dependence on foreign oil, cleaning up the environment and deploying a more intelligent and efficient transportation system. This public commitment will spur entrepreneurial opportunities, jobs in manufacturing and accelerate implementation of smart energy systems." Milbergs, who commuted in an all electric vehicle (ELCAR) in the 1970s in Palo Alto, California, concluded, "Washington State is well positioned to be an innovation leader in this burgeoning market."
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