Teri Viswanath, an energy economist at rural cooperative bank Cobank ACB, has been skeptical of efforts to close the divide, but said Ford Motor Co.’s new F-150 Lightning — and a similar General Motors model on the way — could be a “game-changer.”
“In terms of EV sales, the question was, ‘Would you like a Tesla, or would you like a Tesla?” she said. “And that’s not going to fly with a lot of buyers.”
It’s not just that the Ford F-series is the most popular model in the U.S., she said. With a battery 31 percent larger than the flagship Tesla Model S, the F-150 could also offer portable power for rural residents working away from the grid or who experience disproportionate number of power outages. Viswanath said the administration should focus not just on extending EV highway corridors, but also on the 80 percent of charging that happens in homes.
But charging infrastructure is just one side of the incentive equation. So, Biden is also pushing a $12,500 tax credit for new EVs — an increase from the current credit of up to $7,500 — as part of his signature “Build Back Better” legislation.
