Legislators Propose Battery Tax Credits and Incentives
by Varnum’s Battery Law Industry Group
In an effort to encourage manufacturing and new jobs, a package of bills is being proposed in the Michigan legislature to provide tax credits for advanced battery manufacturers, tax credits for consumers of Michigan-made electric vehicles, and incentives for the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging stations. The legislation is backed by the Built by Michigan coalition which is also seeking conversion of federal electric vehicle tax credit into a direct rebate, state fleet vehicle purchases of electric vehicles, and federal clean fuel standards that require electric and other alternatively fueled vehicles. Michigan has more than 35 advanced battery companies nad suppliers for battery systems and electric vehicles, the most of any state. State Representative Marcia Hovey-Wright, one of the sponsors, has stated “Michigan leads the country in advanced auto technology jobs, and we must keep that title ours.” “These policy proposals are on the right track and are a good starting point for further discussion and legislative action, which we hope comes soon,” said Charles Griffith of the Ecology Center. “Electric vehicles and advanced batteries are emerging as potential game-changers for the entire auto industry, with Michigan at the center.”
