Future Chevy Volt owners in California can breathe a sigh of relief: General Motors will come out with a version of the plug-in hybrid that will qualify for the state's generous tax rebates in 2012.
The Volt is already eligible for a up to $7,500 in federal credits, but with a $41,000 price tag ($44,600 fully loaded), Chevy hopes eligibility for additional state rebates will enhance accessibility.
According to Green Tech Media's Michael Kanellos, who recently spoke with the Volt's vehicle line director, Tony Posawatz, To qualify for the state rebate, GM has to meet the standards of the Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV) specifications.
These specifications require cars in this category to guarantee their batteries will last for ten years and/or 150,000 miles. The idea behind the law is to prevent companies from trying to game the regulations by putting out a car with a small battery or a battery that may not last.
Until it was announced that GM would attempt to build a AT-PZEV-compliant version of the Volt, the Nissan Leaf seemed to have the upper hand in the U.S. electric vehicle market. The current LEAF meets all ATPZEV requirements and has approved for solo access to California's High Occupancy Vehicle lanes.
Unlike the Nissan LEAF, the Chevy Volt has a range-extending gasoline engine, and experts say that it's this feature that's making it hard to fit into current governmental tax credit structures.
Source: Care2
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