, Columnist
Electric Cars Can Stay Juiced Without Subsidies
The Republican tax reform is a chance to see if the plug-in car market can grow organically.
Coming soon to a garage near you.
Photographer: Carla Gottgens/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
News that the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicle purchases would be scrapped under the tax reform bill proposed by House Republicans has inspired no shortage of hand-wringing. From environmental and electric vehicle advocacy groups to the very automakers who were once accused of dragging their heels on electric car technology, opponents of the proposal are gearing up to fight for the incentive. But with the battle lines being drawn around the partisan divide on global warming policy, nobody seems to be asking if the tax credit is even an effective or equitable tool for accelerating electric vehicle adoption.