Oklahoma LSV Tax Credit Update

Yesterday a county judge in Oklahoma ruled in favor of vehicle purchasers, declaring that they could receive the state tax credit for the LSVs that they purchased.  The lawsuit was brought by Ada Electric Cars and H20 Sports Unlimited and other dealers joined as well including GKU Electric Vehicles LLC, Heartland Outdoors LLC, Pat’s Archery Inc., and Xtreme Cycle and ATV LLC.

The judge’s order states low-speed vehicles sold by manufacturers Tomberlin, Ruff & Tuff, Stealth, Fairplay and Bad Boy Buggie qualify for a state tax credit.  The order also includes, “any other low speed vehicles similarly equipped as those described above qualify for … ‘ the state tax credit. Specific models noted in the order include Tomberlin E-Merge E-2, Tomberlin E-Merge E-4, Tomberlin Anvil, Tomberlin E-Merge Classic, Ruff & Tuff NEV2, Ruff & Tuff NEV4, Ruff & Tuff Cruiser EV2, Ruff & Tuff Cruiser LX2, Ruff & Tuff Cruiser LX4, Ruff & Tuff Hunter 4×4, Stealth Patriot LSV, Stealth Patriot LSV 4 X 4, Fairplay EVE, Fairplay Goat and Bad Boy Buggie XT LSV.

The Oklahoma State Tax Commission responded to the announcement by stating that it would appeal the ruling.  The commission stated that the tax credits could cost the state more $40 million.  If this is true, at the high end an average tax credit of $8,000 per vehicle translates into 5,000 vehicles sold in the state and at the low end an average tax credit $4,000 per vehicle translates into 10,000 vehicles sold in the state. In either case the figures represent an enormous boost to the LSV market. – Marc Cesare

Learn more:  Enidnews.com Stilwater-newspress.com

Enidnews.com

ZAP Distributing Electric Vehicles From Wuling Motors Of China

ZAP distributes Wuling Motors electric truck

ZAP received the first shipment of small electric trucks from Wuling Motors of China earlier this year.  To date approximately 100 of the vehicles, which are classified as LSVs, have been shipped to the US.  Most of the vehicle is manufactured by Shanghai-GM-Wuling except for the transmission, battery, controls and motor.  The batteries are provided by HOPPECKE Batterien GmbH & Co. KG and the vehicles have an AC motor.  Besides ZAP, Green Go Tek also distributes the electric trucks.

Wuling is planning on rolling out their Smile-E micro car for the NEV markets such as gated communities and retirement areas as early as next month.  The Smile-E will be distributed by Green Go Tek and Ruff and Tuff vehicles. Learn more:  ChinaBizGov

Ruff And Tuff Vehicles Spins Off Wheego Electric Cars

RTEV has spun off Wheego Electric Cars so both companies can focus on their respective markets.  RTEV will focus on cost cutting and selling deeper into their traditional market of electric powered recreational vehicles in a difficult environment for powersports manufacturers.  Wheego will concentrate on developing the market and distribution for their Wheego Whip LSV product which will go on sale in July of this year.  Management remarked that RTEV will be trying to optimize cash flow while Wheego will be following a more capital intensive strategy to take advantage of what they see as a high growth potential market.  Learn more  prnewswire.com

NEV Manufacturers Going Full-size

Since the beginning of the year a number of NEV manufacturers have announced intentions to produce full-size electric vehicles.

RTEV plans wide-ranging electric vehicle product line – RTEV which currently produces LSVs under the Ruff and Tuff brand are planning on expanding their electric vehicle offerings with bicycles and scooters from their Wheego division in 2008, auto-shaped LSVs in 2009 and full-speed electric vehicles in 2010.

In March, 2008 ZENN reported that it was moving forward with plans to sell a highway speed vehicle starting in Fall 2009. The vehicle will be powered by ultracapacitor technology from EEStor, a Texas based firm in which ZENN has a 3.8% equity stake. The highway speed vehicle, to be called the cityZenn, will have a top speed of 80 miles per hour and a range of 250 miles, according to Zenn. The company said the car will be rechargeable in less than 5 minutes.

BG Automotive Group is starting with LSV production but plan to produce full-size vehicles in the following year.