I still don’t understand how people got cheated on their tax credit, however. I thought the credit came directly off your tax bill. Why and how was it reduced?

The reason we won’t is because the government is more interested in helping out automakers than helping the environment. Automakers are spending money coming up with new technology and it’s only worth it if they can recoup that investment. So Bush, more concerned with the well-being of his corporate supporters that supported his campaigne, has basically passed farce legislation to help sell more cars, that just happen to be hybrids. That’s why there is no yearly tax credit. In fact, if you don’t buy the hybrid new right off the lot, you won’t get the credit either.

And conversely have an additional tax for any vehicle owned that falls below a certain mpg and emission standard (mpg of 20 or less [combined] or is a heavy polluter and include pickup trucks and SUVs).

The current “Tax Credit” is a joke. We didn’t get ANYTHING in the end. I qualified for a full $3150.00 credit, but once the numbers were added up on our 1040, we got zilch!

It has to do with the credits you are already claiming (2 kids and childcare for us) on your 1040. We’re not rich, by any means. Just a working family trying to get by. The promised tax credit was a big reason for us to purchase a Prius in the first place. My tax advisor said the credit would be great… if you were a single guy.

I love my Prius, but feel ripped off. My advice: check the “fine print” with the IRS if a tax credit is a big reason you are considering a hybrid purchase. “Don’t believe the hype!”

The link below is the form and info for this years “credit”.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8910.pdf

It was time to buy a new family vehicle in last year and the only vehicles we entertained were hybrids. I liked the HiHy so much, I turned it my company provided “company car” and bought a Prius. (I drive 30000 miles/year and felt guilty). We recycle everything – even though the majority of it isn’t picked up at our curbside. We compost nearly everything we don’t recycle. We end up putting trash out once every three weeks or so (they pick it up twice weekly in our little town). Years ago we installed 2500 watts of solar panels and two small wind generators when electricity was about $0.08/kWh. Finally, we buy recycled and organic products when we can, and prefer to buy things in recyclable containers. This is a roundabout way I’m trying to explain that I agree that we need to think globally and act locally. Regardless of what the government is doing.

But just understand, if you have a mortgage and kids, forget the hybrid rebate.

What drives this innovation? Folks like me voting with their wallets. All this talk about the cost to the auto industry of meeting mpg standards is BS. The cost will be born by the consumer not the corporations. So let’s start voting now. Buy the highest mileage vehicle you can afford when you look for a new car. Convert when you can afford to. Squeeze your wallet and vote. I hate paying for everything but there is no excuse to own a vehicle that gets less than 30 mpg if all you are doing is commuting. I hate Bush but anything the government does to encourage cleaner energy I am behind.