December 27, 2019
As more and more automotive professionals begin to switch up their platform to include electric vehicles, government officials are focusing on legislature plans to make it easier for customers to transition into the field of electric cars. State Senators Sean O’Brien and Michael Rulli, both natives of Mahoning Valley, are focusing on a bill that can provide drivers with a broad variety of incentives towards leasing or purchasing electric vehicles.
The bill features a broad variety of benefits, including the opportunity to remove $500 off of the price of any electric vehicle that consumers purchase in the state. This discount is available once a year, and drivers can look forward to immediate savings as soon as they switch over to an electric car. This bill will also provide business owners the chance to take $1,000 off the cost of commercial fleet vehicles. This can be enjoyed upwards of 10 times a year. Additionally, charging stations will see tremendous cost reductions in their installation. Professionals can look forward to $1,500 off of the price of every charging station, with no planned limits for how many can be purchased.
Through such incentives, lawmakers believe that they can improve the electric vehicle market in Ohio, which can provide numerous benefits to the state itself.
In addition to the presence of zero-emission vehicles just being better for the overall environment, professionals believe that a boost to the electric car market could bring more jobs back to the state, providing Ohio residents with more employment opportunities.
The legislature comes on the recent announcement that General Motors will be partnering with Ohio chemical companies to develop electric batteries for vehicles. Lordstown Motors recently also purchased an older GM plant, planning to use it to develop a new electric commercial vehicle known as the Endurance.
These trucks are planned to be released around the end of 2020, which is when many other major companies are planning on rolling their own electric pickups out. In order to keep up with the release date, however, the bill is planned to pass next spring, slotted before lawmakers are scheduled to go on summer break. Regardless of the way the bill passes, the attention to the legislature means that more and more people are beginning to purchase electric vehicles locally. This shows that companies in Ohio are taking the technology seriously and are planning on incorporating electric into the state's future industries.
Developments may become more focused in the future as well, and it is not yet clear if changes to the legislature may include more incentives. Ohio residents are looking forward to the presence of more job opportunities in the state.