Electric vehicle maker Fisker is calling on the United States government to implement a new program it proposed called “75 And More for 55 And Less,” to help encourage the adoption of clean energy mobility powered by American-developed technology for use around the world.
In a nutshell, the program would provide a rebate of $7,500, plus $10.00 per mile of certified driving range for Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) priced at $55,000 and less. The rebates would be applied at the time of sale.
“We are at an inflection point in our transition to low-carbon mobility,” said Fisker Chairman and CEO, Henrik Fisker. “Just as the federal highways program in the 1940s and 1950s enabled a new era for the private car, we now have the opportunity, between the government and business, to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles and ensure the United States is at the forefront of this global shift.”
An EV priced at $45,000 and powered by a certified 300-mile range battery would receive a point-of-sale rebate of $7,500 — and an additional $3,000 for the battery range — for a total of $10,500. The transaction price would then be lowered to $34,500.
In an article posted on LinkedIn, Fisker said that, with annual fuel savings of about $1,000 for a BEV, the gap between the savings from the program and the average price of a gas-powered vehicle in the U.S. can be closed within approximately four years of BEV ownership.
“Many states and municipalities offer additional incentives, plus free or lower toll rates, free parking, and incentives for home chargers, further improving the payback period,” said Fisker. “The (federal) plan to invest $100 billion in full battery electric vehicle subsidies must encourage adoption of vehicles without gas or petrol engines.”
He said if rebates average $10,000, the federal $100 billion investment would support the purchase of 10 million clean energy BEVs, “more than ten times the amount sold in the last ten years.”
In Canada, the federal government already offers incentives for electric vehicles, in addition to what is offered at the provincial level.
