Treasury Division expands definition of SUVs eligible for electrical automobile tax credit score

The Biden administration will increase eligibility for an Inflation Discount Act-enabled tax minimize for electrical automobiles, the Treasury Division introduced Friday.

The division has up to date the classification requirements used to find out eligibility, increasing the definition of an SUV. The $7,500 tax credit score applies to SUVs costing as much as $80,000, however there is no such thing as a such profit for passenger vehicles costlier than $55,000. The replace, retroactive to Jan. 1, will use the usual set by the Environmental Safety Company’s (EPA) gasoline financial system requirements.

“To make it simpler for shoppers to know which automobiles qualify beneath the relevant MSRP cap, Treasury is updating the automobile classification commonplace to make use of the consumer-facing EPA Gas Financial system Labeling commonplace, moderately than the EPA CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] commonplace,” the division mentioned in an announcement Friday. “This modification will enable crossover automobiles that share related options to be handled constantly.”

Below the expanded eligibility, Tesla’s five-seat Mannequin Y, the Volkswagen ID.4 and Normal Motors’s Cadillac Lyriq will all be allowed beneath the $80,000 value cap as crossover SUVs.

Firms akin to Tesla and GM had beforehand lobbied for a extra expansive eligibility commonplace to permit their fashions to qualify. Tesla minimize the value of its Mannequin Y automobile 20 p.c in January, which might make it eligible for the tax credit score even earlier than the growth. In January, CEO Elon Musk tweeted that it was “tousled” that the five-seat model of the Mannequin Y was ineligible beneath the sooner requirements. The Hill has reached out to Tesla for clarification on whether or not the announcement will have an effect on the value minimize.

“Tax credit are a confirmed accelerator of electrical automobile adoption, and we’re excited that qualifying clients will be capable to make the most of a $7,500 federal clear automobile tax credit score, together with the Spring Hill, Tennessee-built, all-electric Cadillac Lyriq SUV,” a GM spokesperson informed The Hill in an electronic mail. “We respect the Division of Treasury aligning with fueleconomy.gov. The alignment on classification will present the wanted readability to shoppers and sellers, in addition to regulators and producers.”