Hybrid Car Tax Credit

Ever since 2005, the IRS has been giving a tax credit to individual taxpayers who drive cars which use alternative fuel sources. There was at one time just a clean fuel burning deduction available to green minded taxpayers, but this only applied to gas-electric hybrid vehicles. In 2005, however, this was replaced by the current legislation, the Energy Policy Act. By the terms of this 2005 law, the tax credit is taken directly from the total amount of tax which the taxpayer would otherwise owe. This reduces or can even eliminate the tax which the individual in question must pay. If you are unsure whether or not your particular "green" vehicle qualifies for this credit, you can ask your car manufacturer or your local dealership.



If you have bought a hybrid vehicle after January 1 2006, then your vehicle (and you, happily!) qualify for this tax credit. This tax credit will also apply to your vehicle if you have begun to use your car after this date.

A hybrid vehicle is, by the definition given in this law a vehicle having drive trains which are powered by a rechargeable battery of some sort in addition to an internal combustion engine. Most hybrid vehicles which are available on the market currently do in fact qualify for this credit.

The credit provided for in the Energy Policy Act applies only to those who have purchased a new vehicle that meets these criteria. If this vehicle is leased rather than purchased outright by a consumer, it is the leasing company instead of the end user may claim this tax credit.

Let's have a look at how large of a credit you will be eligible to receive for your hybrid vehicle. This information is current as of January 2008:

1. Make: Chevrolet

Model: Malibu Hybrid, Amount of Credit: $1,300
Model: Tahoe Hybrid 2WD and 4WD, Amount of Credit: $2,200

2. Make: Ford

Model: Escape Hybrid 2WD, Amount of Credit: $3,000
Model: Escape Hybrid 4WD, Amount of Credit: $2,200

3. Make: GMC

Model: Yukon Hybrid, Amount of Credit: $2,200

4. Make: Honda

Model: Civic CVT, Amount of Credit: $0 to $2,100 depending upon date of purchase.

5. Make: Mazda

Model: Tribute 2WD, Amount of Credit: $3,000
Model: Tribute 4WD, Amount of Credit: $2,200

6. Make: Mercury

Model: Mariner Hybrid 2WD, Amount of Credit: $3,000
Model: Mariner Hybrid 4WD, Amount of Credit: $2,200

7. Make: Nissan

Model: Altima Hybrid, Amount of Credit: $2,350

8. Make: Saturn

Model: Aura hybrid, Amount of Credit: $3,000
Model: Vue Green Line, Amount of Credit: $1,550

9. Make: Toyota

Model: Camry Hybrid, Amount of Credit: $0 to $2,600 depending on date of purchase
Model: Prius, Amount of Credit: $0 to $3,150 depending on date of purchase
Model: Highlander Hybrid 4WD, Amount of Credit: $0 to $2,600 depending on date of purchase

10. Make: Lexus

Model: RX 400h 2WD and 4WD, Amount of Credit: $0 to $2,200 depending on date of purchase
Model: LS 600h L Hybrid, Amount of Credit: $0 to $1,800 depending on date of purchase

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The History of Electric Cars

We've all seen the commercials talking about how technology was all going to be about flying cars and cold fusion. In reality, though, we have our very own science-fiction-turned-fact in looking at hybrid vehicles which are taking over. They truly are efficient and are money-saving at some levels, but most consumers assume that the concept of electric motors is brand new, but the first experiments with electric motors began in the mid-1800s. Going as far back as 1832, locomotives and carriages were already using electric motors, considering that lead-acid batteries were already being used.

In the 1890s, though, the first electric cars were actually built at home in the U.S. and actually shown to the general public. To thank for that first electric car we have William Morrison, whose electric car was one of the first to be successfully tested. By the time 1893 had rolled around, there are already several models of electric-powered cars that were showcased in Chicago.

If you have the impression that electric cars are solely known to the public as the new economic fad, think again. Made by Pope manufacturing company in New York City, 1897 saw electric taxis around the city. In fact, by 1899, Thomas Edison was also involved with these ideas, even though he never saw his developments come to fruition.

In 1900, 28% öf vehicles in the U.S. were powered by electric motors, and over one-third of the driving populations in New York City, Boston and Chicago were actually driving electric cars. Had Henry Ford's new automobile, the gas-powered Model T Ford, not come along eight years later, the electric car could have possibly been the more common vehicle. Unfortunately, Henry Ford's Model T had taken over electric cars by far by the 1920s.

Around 1966, environmental awareness actually became a concern, prompting the US Congress to actually pass legislation regarding pollution, air cleanliness concerns, not to mention rising gas prices. As a result, the popularity and demand for electric cars has increased.

While most consumers think of old hybrids as being the 1998 Toyota Prius, the first actual hybrid vehicle was constructed from a Buick Skylark by a man named Victor Wouk in 1972. The Federal Clear Car Incentive Program in 1970 brought forward this need for hybrid cars, and Wouk's hybrid was no different, having been built specifically in response to this Act. Later, in 1974, Vanguard-Sebring built an electric vehicle known as the CitiCar, and was another attempt to respond to the Incentive Program. Unfortunately, the company and program were both out of the picture by 1980.

Although there was an actual act passed by Congress to research and develop hybrid vehicles in 1976, General Motors didn't actually start its research on their first hybrid vehicle, the EVI, until 1988. Thankfully, the entire country got a kick in the pants when California passed a Zero Emission Mandate in 1990 that required at least 2% of vehicles be ZEV compliant by 1993, and then 10% of those vehicles by 2003. Unfortunately, both of those goals had not been met by 2003, which still left the country in a position to research hybrids.

Finally, in 1997, Toyota was able to make a breakthrough, and the Toyota Prius was released to the commercial mass-market, selling over 18,000 vehicles in one year alone. It didn't take long after that, and in the next three years, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and GM began to release hybrid vehicles, but they were full of kinks and problems. By 2004, most of them were scrapped and recycled.

In 2006, hybrid vehicles began to see a resurgence in production. This time, the kinks were worked out and now, hybrids will soon become the new standard. The fact of the matter, though, is that while the packaging may be new, the actual technology behind the hybrid has spent a century being developed.

About the Author:
To learn more about hybrid cars visit hybridcarchat.com and join the hybrid car forums.

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Hybrid Car Comparison: Which Hybrid Car Should You Choose

Hybrid cars are getting more and more popular today. In fact, more and more people are now purchasing hybrid cars because of a number of reasons. One is that they will enjoy tax incentives as a buyer of a hybrid car, two is that they will be able to save a lot of money from the rising cost of precious, expensive and limited supply of fuel and three, it will enable them to generate less pollution to the environment because of the extremely low toxic emissions generated by hybrid cars.

Because of the growing popularity of hybrid cars, more and more car manufacturers are now competing to produce the best kind of hybrid cars. They are now producing hybrid cars integrated with state-of-the-art technology that will enable consumers to save more on fuel, and also a car that will be able to produce low toxic emissions.

However, because of the growing market for hybrid cars, and also because of more and more car manufacturers that are now integrating hybrid technology in their cars, many people tend to get confused on which hybrid car to purchase. Besides, all car manufacturers promises to offer the best kind of hybrid cars in the market today.

In order to know which hybrid car to purchase, you have to compare them closely for you to know which hybrid car is for you and which hybrid car you can benefit from more. You have to compare some factors of hybrid cars in order to determine which hybrid car is better than the other.

However, before you go on and compare hybrid cars, you first have to know a little something about how hybrid cars work and how you can benefit from it. First of all, hybrid cars use the cleanest and the most efficient source of energy, which is electricity and also gasoline. Hybrid cars are what you can describe as a cross between a conventional gasoline-powered car and an electric-powered car.

It allows you to save fuel and emit lower volumes of toxic fumes because hybrid cars run on electricity when it is idle. What this means is that when you are stuck in traffic, and the hybrid car is running idle, or not in motion, it will automatically switch of the gasoline engine. Therefore, the hybrid car will run purely on electricity. Once you step on the accelerator pedal, it will automatically switch on the gasoline engine again to run the car.

So, now that you know how hybrid cars work and how you can benefit from it, you now have to know how to compare hybrid cars in order to get the right kind of hybrid car for your everyday use.

First of all, you need to determine how you will use the car. If you have a family, it is recommended that you get an SUV hybrid vehicle. This will enable you to carry more passengers. However, you also have to consider that SUV hybrid vehicles can cost a little more than hybrid cars.

The main advantage of a hybrid car is that it is fuel efficient. You have to choose a hybrid car that is the most fuel efficient in order for you to maximize its benefits. You can ask your dealer about the fuel efficiency of the car. They will be able to tell you how much miles a gallon it can save compared to conventional cars and other hybrid cars.

These are the ways on how you can compare hybrid cars in order for you to choose which one to get. Remember all these things and you can be sure that you will be able to get the right kind of hybrid car available in the market today. To start your search, Honda and Toyota are two of the leading companies today that produce affordable and efficient hybrid cars.

About the Author:
Hilal Abdelwali, Ph.D. in Automotive Engineering. SAE Member Since September 2001. Expert in Automotive Engineering and Hybrid Cars. Internet Marketer. Owner of http://TheHybridCarsSite.com, and http://MyHotProducts.com Site.

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