Pricier Chevrolet Bolt, Volt Loom as GM Nears Tax Credit Threshold

It looks like General Motors won’t enjoy its tax incentive advantage over Tesla for all that long. The maker of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Volt plug-in hybrid (“extended-range EV,” in GM parlance) told Green Car Reports it will pass the 200,000-unit green vehicle threshold this quarter, meaning a halved federal tax credit for those vehicles starting in April of next year.

No longer will the base Bolt sticker for under $30,000 after factoring in the $7,500 credit.

Tesla surpassed the 200,000-vehicle marker in July, with its full-sized federal incentives due for a chop on January 1st. Starting two quarters after the quarter in which an automaker passes the mark, green vehicle buyers can only apply for 50 percent of the full credit. Two quarters after that, the credit is halved again, disappearing two quarters after that point.

For the Bolt, which starts at $37,495 (including destination) in LT guise, the available federal incentive drops to $3,750 on April 1st, then $1,875 starting in October. Both the Bolt and the long-legged Volt qualify for the largest incentive. The 2019 Volt, which boasts a faster charging time, stickers for $33,520 before destination.

Interestingly, buyers of a base Tesla Model 3 outfitted with the “standard” battery — a long-awaited vehicle costing $35,000 that won’t see deliveries until early next year — lose out on the maximum credit.

As Tesla and GM buyers prepare to pay more (dealers might offer their own incentives, of course), Nissan’s sitting pretty. Due to a lack of PHEVs in the Nissan lineup, the brand’s revamped-for-2018 Leaf stands to qualify for the full tax credit for some time. Estimates put the number of qualifying green vehicles sold under the Nissan brand at 125,000.

This factor, combined with the Leaf’s low entry price, could see the vehicle become more appealing to cash-strapped greenies in the coming year. A long-range Leaf variant is expected to show its face in 2019.

[Image: General Motors]