Incentives and Laws

Corporate Incentives for Hybrids and Alternative Cars

Do you think that only environmentalists or eco-conscious legislators want to promote smart transportation choices? Think again. A growing number of business leaders are seeing the connection between employees’ driving habits and the well being of their companies and communities.

Hybrid Incentives and Rebates - Region by Region

We're doing our best to track hybrid incentives and rebates across the country.

Federal Tax Incentives (United States)

Depending on when you bought a hybrid, which model you purchased, and how many deductions you are already taking, you might be entitled to significant tax credit.

California Weighs Anti-Sprawl Legislation

The California Senate approved a bill over the weekend that is being hailed as the most far-reaching urban sprawl bill in the country. The legislation, which is supported by both the Natural Resources Defense Council and the state's largest home builders' lobby, would tie tens of billions of dollars to state and federal transportation funding based on compliance with efforts to reduce sprawl, and by extension, commutes.

Democrats Put Plug-in Hybrids on Main Stage

The unofficial theme of the second night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver was the building of a green economy. In speech after speech, the Democrats pointed to Barack Obama’s plan to put 1 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on American roads by 2015—and to rebuild the American auto industry in the process—as the cornerstone of his plan for energy independence.

Mileage Requirements: The Wrong Way to Cut Gasoline Use?

Over the last two years, soaring gasoline prices, post-9/11 concerns over energy independence, and growing awareness of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas all came together. Public demand forced the US Congress to strengthen fuel-economy standards last year, raising the requirement to 35 mpg by 2020. (The actual math is complex; each automaker has a slightly different target to meet, based on sales mix.)

Auto Execs Hit Links, Talk Climate

The Management Briefing Seminars, held every August in a resort community five hours northwest of Detroit, got their start as a way for auto industry executives to get in a few rounds of golf on the company dime. Forty-three years later, it’s a mix of “Davos for auto execs” and the ultimate networking forum for the beleaguered leaders of America’s largest industry.

CARB Rules May Pull Plug on Plug-in Conversions

In recent years, the State of California has become the unofficial capital of plug-in hybrid technology. But proposed certification standards from the California Air Resource Board (CARB) could create an obstacle for small companies selling plug-in hybrid conversion kits.

Obama Calls for 1 Million Plug-in Hybrids by 2015

Kicking off what campaign advisors have dubbed "energy week," Barack Obama today called for an "end to the age of oil in our time." He backed up his trademark optimism with the most dramatic auto technology proposals of the 2008 campaign cycle. Obama said he hopes to see 1 million plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

Cash for Clunkers

Consider two facts. First, it takes about 20 years for all vehicles on the road today to be replaced with newer, more efficient cars. Second, the most polluting cars on the road are the oldest. Put the two facts together, and you can see why a handful of states are paying low-income owners to yank those vehicles off the road.