Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced today the “Electric Vehicle Deployment Act of 2010,” a bill that promotes the rapid, near-term deployment of plug-in electric drive motor vehicles. The bill would create “deployment communities” across the country, where targeted incentive programs for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure systems would help demonstrate rapid market penetration and determine what “best practices” would be helpful for nationwide deployment of electric vehicles.

Dorgan – Alexander – Merkley

Electric Vehicle Deployment Act of 2010

 To rapidly deploy 700,000 electric vehicles in the near-term

1)       National Electric Drive Vehicle Deployment Program

• Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to support the nationwide deployment of electric vehicles and to offer technical assistance to states and communities across that country as they prepare for plug-in electric drive vehicles.

2)      Electric Vehicle Deployment Community Program

A minimum of 5 and maximum of 15 “Electric Vehicle Deployment Communities”

• Each community can apply for up to a $250 million total grant, with a local cost share of at least 20%.
• DOE will select communities based on criteria such as, partnership with key stakeholders in the public and private sectors, local cost share levels, the quality of the community’s plan for deploying electric vehicles, and evidence of the plan’s likelihood for success.
• Selected communities will demonstrate a high level of electric vehicle integration through a 5-year grant program, covering charging infrastructure, building code updates, workforce training, or other needs.

Electric Vehicle purchasing incentives

• Increases the maximum tax credit to $10,000 (from $7,500) in deployment communities, and makes the tax credit transferable and refundable so that car-buyers can get the value of the tax credit at the point of sale. Point of sale rebate must be taken in lieu of the existing vehicle tax credit               

Charging Infrastructure incentives

• Eligible for 50% tax credit for installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure

3)      Nationwide Incentives

Electric Vehicle purchasing incentives

• Increases the number of tax credit eligible vehicles for each manufacturer from 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles
• Extends and expands the credit for medium/heavy duty hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles

Infrastructure

• Extends the current 50% tax credit (expiring in 2010) for electric charging infrastructure for 6 years and makes the credit transferable.
• Also creates a new bonding program to help local governments, public power providers, and cooperative electric companies pay for charging infrastructure in lieu of the current tax credit.

4)      Research and Development and Other Programs

• R&D to reduce battery and other electric vehicle component costs – $1.5 billion
• Competition to invent the 500-mile battery – $10 million prize (first battery to meet a cost/kwh threshold)

Workforce training grants to educational institutions for the establishment of programs that will provide training and education for vocational workforce (first responders, electricians/contractors installing infrastructure, code inspection officials, dealers/mechanics)

See also:  Electric Vehicle Deployment Act of 2020, Section-by-Section

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