San Antonio Express-News: Doggett moves to extend tax credit for electric vehicle charging

WASHINGTON - Texas Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett is calling on Congress to extend the tax credit for electric vehicle chargers for another five years.

The tax credit is due to expire at the end of this year, at a time auto manufacturers are moving swiftly into the electric vehicle space, with dozens of new models scheduled to arrive at dealerships in the years ahead.

Under a bill Doggett introduced earlier this week, the tax credit, which covers 30 percent of the costs of a charging station, would not only extend until 2026 but expand to cover some of the costs of chargers that exceed $100,000 - the price of some fast chargers that can charge a vehicle in minutes, not hours.

"With the Biden Administration prioritizing the transition to electric vehicles, this legislation offers a roadmap for investment in public, accessible, electric vehicle charging," Doggett, who represents Austin and San Antonio, said in a statement. "The United States needs to charge ahead on the road to green energy, not get left behind, after the climate destruction of the Trump years."

Biden has already ordered the EPA to enact tougher emissions standards that would force manufacturers to shift even faster towards electric vehicles, as well as ordering federal agencies to start replacing their vehicle fleets with electric models.

Last week U.S. auto giant GM announced it will no longer produce petroleum-powered light duty cars and trucks after 2035.