Ed: This article has been updated with a comment from Zero Motorcycles.

Anyone else tired of hearing about the Fiscal Cliff yet? We are, and we were hoping to avoid having to write about it on this blog, but alas, motorcycle world has been drawn into the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 w The Act casts a wide net over many tax issues, including the extension of an existing tax credit for electric motorcycles.

Added to the Act by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the amendment allows the purchasers of electric two- and three-wheelers to claim a tax credit worth the lesser of 10% of the cost of the vehicle or $2,500. The amendment applies to street-legal vehicles capable of achieving speeds of 45 mph or higher. The amendment also reduces the requirements for the capacity of the vehicle’s power pack to 2.5 kWh from the previous level of 4 kWh.

The amendment was supported by Republican Congressman Greg Walden and Democrat U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, both representing Oregon. The state is home to a number of electric vehicle producers including Brammo, so it’s no wonder the act drew bi-partisan support. Wyden says the electric motorcycle industry is expected to generate nearly 2,000 jobs in the next 18 months and 16,000 jobs over the next five years. Continue Reading »

Electric motorcycles like Brammo’s forthcoming Empulse model would qualify for a tax credit.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Buyers of on-road electric motorcycles would continue to be eligible for up to a $2,500 tax credit under a bill approved by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

On Aug. 2, the panel approved bipartisan legislation extending dozens of tax breaks, including language offered by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to preserve the tax credit for buying electric motorcycles designed for the street.
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Brammo, maker of plug-in electric motorcycles, announced today it is dropping the price of the all-electric Brammo Enertia powercycle, to $7,995. Customers are also eligible for a 10% federal income tax credit, further reducing the price to $7,195.

“While this pricing breakthrough is innovative in transportation, it is in line with consumer electronics, where engineering and production advances get passed on to customers as quickly as possible to stimulate adoption of the technology,” stated Craig Bramscher, founder and CEO of Brammo. “The Enertia is consumer electronics that you can ride and Brammo’s engineers are able to deliver a better value proposition to customers sooner than a traditional transportation company.”

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Two major players in electric motorcycles, Vectrix and Zero Motorcycles, are eligible for a 10% Federal tax credit for plug-in vehicles. Zero Motorcycles, already known for its electric dirt bikes, is launching a new street legal version, the Zero S coming sometime this spring. As for Vectrix, you can still get a tax credit on its scooters but as for its street bike concept there has been no confirmation from the company if it’s in production or even will be produced at all.

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