The United States Department of the Treasury has published the annual list of electric vehicles that can benefit from the tax credit of 7,500 dollars granted by the federal government. To the surprise of many potential customers, two very popular models have been excluded from aid: the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Tesla Model Y.
This is because neither of them is considered an SUV, but rather a regular car (while SUVs and pick-ups have a limit price of $80,000 to qualify for the tax credit, conventional cars remain at $55,000). ). It is possible that this is due to the fact that, more than SUVs, they are crossovers.
It is not very clear what criteria has been followed to carry out this classification (everything indicates that the weight is a key factor), since the Volkswagen ID.4 Yes, it falls into that category. Even the seven-seater variant of the Model Y is considered an SUV, something that is not the case with its approved versions for five passengers.
Many users consider this approach a mistake, since they believe that the authorities should encourage the purchase of efficient vehicles; that is, lighter and more aerodynamic than an SUV. This is the case of the Mustang Mach-E and Model Y, which have a profile closer to that of a fastback than that of a classic SUV.
The Volkswagen ID.4 is considered an SUV
Due to the number of complaints received, criteria may change in the future. In any case, one thing is certain, and that is that at the moment the United States does not seem to have much interest in putting a stop to inefficient SUVs and trucks, something that contrasts with the attitude that other regions are beginning to adopt.
And it is that some European countries are studying the possibility of taxing the weight of cars, which would benefit those lighter models. Taking into account that electric ones are usually noticeably heavier than an equivalent thermal vehiclethis could serve as a stimulus for manufacturers to improve this problem in their next launches, as well as for drivers to consider buying more efficient cars.