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I guess the Model X somehow got classified as an SUV/light-truck, so they can sell it for much higher and still qualify for the subsidy. But it is questionable how many people who meet the income requirements for the subsidy are going to buy an 80k car in the first place.

If the Mach-E, Lyriq, and Model Y are classified on the 80k limit, the Model X definitely should be.

Frankly I don't know why bigger vehicles qualify for the subsidy more easily to begin with. America continues to incentivize bigger vehicles even though they are proven to be more dangerous for pedestrians.

wil421 923 days ago

Because they are trying to incentivize EV adoption not smaller vehicles. The top selling segments are SUVs and trucks. If you want to tackle emissions it makes sense to go after the popular vehicle types.

Not just that - top selling or not, you want to remove worse emission vehicles since they contribute a larger amount to emissions. One truck replaced with an electric version is effectively equivalent to 1.5-2 sedans, in terms of emissions per mile.

The Chrysler Pacifica PHEV has a <40 mile electric range. But vehicles like the Mini Cooper SE, all of Hyundai/Kia's EVs, and Tesla's standard range Model 3 and Y are missing out on the subsidy while gas guzzling minivans rake in the dough.

the top selling segments are SUVs

Seems like a self fulfilling prophecy.

trog 923 days ago

I know this is a bit of a chicken and egg thing because there just aren't that many smaller EVs, but it'd be nice to see more tax credits for smaller, cheaper vehicles.

Incentivising the hell out of the low end could make travel significantly cheaper for a huge number of people and might mean we can move away from this energy expensive, mutually assured destruction arms race of huger and huger vehicles.

Wait, what? Why would the Model 3 Performance be eligible for the credit but not the Model 3 Long Range? Do they actually have different batteries? I thought the only difference between them was motor, some software, and the wheels.

thejazzman 923 days ago

If you go by what everyone parrots on the internet, they are the same. But I haven't actually seen anyone specify part numbers of one vs the other. And it's Tesla, so what's true one moment may not be the next.

It's possible it own't even remain eligible. I believe it's inclusion here is because Tesla hasn't acknowledge it's exclusion. That could be because they discontinue offering a Performance model -- like they have in Europe with the launch of the Highland revision.

Shrug.

seanmcdirmid 923 days ago

I would guess they aren't using a Chinese LFP battery in the M3 performance, but they are in the other models?

Unless they're heavily retooled (which is possible, I guess), historically they haven't been able to fit a large enough LFP battery into the Model 3 to meet the EPA range of the 'Long Range' version.

Also, the Performance version of every car Tesla makes has used an identical battery to the 'AWD' (or, Long Range) battery. You can tell, because the range is slightly reduced due to the additional motor and/or larger tires.