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View Full Version : World's Largest Cash-Back Rebate: $42K Off Tesla


OldDude
10-25-09, 04:24 PM
Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture. I'm not convinced the folks buying $100K+ cars are the folks who need government rebates, or that enough gas (or CO2 or pollution) will EVER be saved to warrant a $42K rebate. I certainly hope the Colorado legislature is not whining about the need for a tax increase or having any deficit problems.

(I'm not convined a state rebate of $20K on a Lexus is warranted either.)

World's Largest Cash-Back Rebate: $42K Off Tesla Roaster
By Sean Tucker, U.S. News and World Report

Tesla RoadsterIf you're in the market for a new car and would like a little help with the purchase, there's a nice $3,500 cash-back rebate this month on the Pontiac G8. There's a similar $3,500 rebate on leftover 2009 Ford Mustangs. Or, for Colorado residents, there's a $42,083 rebate on the all-electric Tesla Roadster.



Yeah, read it again.



Didn't change, did it?



Autoblog reports, "Colorado is offering a $42,083 rebate on the 2009 Tesla Roadster until December 31st...yep, that's a 38-percent discount on what must be the most desirable electric car currently for sale in the United States."


For the uninitiated, the Tesla Roadster is a guilt-free supercar. A topless, wind-in-your-hair rocket that surges from a standstill to sixty miles per hour in less than four seconds, it's fast enough to catch the gingerbread man. It corners faster than a caffeinated chipmunk running from a lawn mower and, oh yeah, it doesn't use gas. When you get home (which shouldn't take long), you just plug it back into the wall.



The only problem with the Roadster is its buzz-killing six-figure sticker price. Except, apparently, for those who can see the Rockies from their driveway.



Autoblog explains, "The incentive actually applies to a slew of qualifying hybrid and electric vehicles and will be paid in the form of an income tax credit that's calculated by determining the difference in price of the alt-fuel car or truck as compared to a competitive gas-powered model. In the case of the Tesla Roadster, Colorado figures the EV costs a whopping $50K more than its competitive set."



We have no idea what possessed them to think the Tesla had competitors. There's just nothing else like it. They may have compared it to the Lotus Elise, a similarly-sized, lightweight track racer that does cost about $50K less.



Whatever they were comparing it to, they took a massive chunk out of the price. Jalopnik notes, "The final price, after the tax credit, is a relatively low $67,800 (relative to the 110K starting price)."



Tesla dealers are rare, but Colorado shoppers are in luck. Fox News reports, "Tesla will open a new store in Boulder, Colorado, this Friday."



If you need more than two seats, or trunk space for something larger than a pen, the Tesla won't meet your needs. But we found jaw-dropping rebates on some cars that might. A fact sheet put of by the Taxpayer Service Division of the Colorado Department of Revenue lists the lot of them, ranging from $3,906 off a Ford Escape Hybrid to $20,392 off a Lexus LS 600 hybrid.



If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.

kvrdave
10-25-09, 06:53 PM
Very similar to the huge tax credits for street legal golf carts. We need to rush the health care legislation through. Nothing bad ever happened from rushing legislation. :lol:

Superboy
10-26-09, 06:04 AM
Not likely that anyone who could afford this car would actually benefit from that tax credit. I'll do research on it though. I don't think Colorado (or any state, for that matter) ever anticipating awarding such a high tax credit for a single vehicle.

Sdallnct
10-26-09, 08:05 AM
Not likely that anyone who could afford this car would actually benefit from that tax credit. I'll do research on it though. I don't think Colorado (or any state, for that matter) ever anticipating awarding such a high tax credit for a single vehicle.

Arizona thought the same thing with their conversion kits (I think it was for natural gas, but don't remember). And about went broke. Had to abruptly cancel the program after giving out tons more credits than they anticipated.

Mabuse
10-26-09, 05:33 PM
Arizona thought the same thing with their conversion kits (I think it was for natural gas, but don't remember). And about went broke. Had to abruptly cancel the program after giving out tons more credits than they anticipated. This is what I immediately thought of. That was classic. Every rich prick in AZ went and bought a Land Rover converted to CNG for the price of a Civic.

This could play out great for any CO resident. The Tesla is so in demand that you could buy the car for $67,000, immediately drive it to CA and find a buyer in a heartbeat willing to pay $90,000 for it (which would still be a discount for the buyer) and you pocket difference.

As an aside, everything I've ever read about the Tesla is that it's an unreliable piece of shit that will leave you walking home. The guys on Top Gear took two of them out of commission in an afternoon.

kvrdave
10-26-09, 08:11 PM
Not likely that anyone who could afford this car would actually benefit from that tax credit. I'll do research on it though. I don't think Colorado (or any state, for that matter) ever anticipating awarding such a high tax credit for a single vehicle.

It's really no different than the street legal golf cart thing. 64% on one of those. Unintended consequences and little mishaps like this is exactly why I don't have faith in a health care system or any other complex thing the government wants to run.

Superboy
10-26-09, 08:14 PM
It's really no different than the street legal golf cart thing. 64% on one of those. Unintended consequences and little mishaps like this is exactly why I don't have faith in a health care system or any other complex thing the government wants to run.

There already is a mishap with health care: medicare part D.

kvrdave
10-26-09, 11:41 PM
Generally a huge bill starts off as something someone likes, and then in order to get enough support things are added and taken away until finally we pass something that no one likes. But we can at least claim victory. :lol: