If I'm going to drive 100% electric and pay the prices they want for the thing then I want to be

How do you get the tax credit on a leased car? It specifically says at 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid FAQ:

• 2. The Plug-in vehicle must be purchased. Leased vehicles will not allow the lessee to take advantage of the Plug-in tax credit

 

I think its why toyota came out with 3150 off the top on the PiP leases....made me change my deal from a reg prius to pip.

dan

 

There are couple aftermarket Plug-in conversion options available to turn a regular Prius into a Plug-in Prius at much less cost ($2000-$5500) and much longer range (10-40 miles).

 

My post on comparisons between gasoline and electric costs could maybe be of some help.

Click on the following link:

Comparison between gasoline and electric usage for 100 miles. | PriusChat

 

The Toyota site is incorrect. Go to the Federal Government site for the full background on the tax credit. It clearly states below:
"The vehicle is acquired for use or lease by the taxpayer, and not for resale. (The credit is only available to the original purchaser of a new, qualifying vehicle. If a qualifying vehicle is leased to a consumer, the leasing company may claim the credit.)"
I plan on taking the credit - don't you?

 

Did you read the last part of the statement you posted

So ifyou leased, YOU cannot take the credit, the company leasing it to you is the one that can. So Toyota can claim the credit. If they pass it on to you or not is up to them. But you cannot claim it yourself.

 

Looks like that is correct after reading the very fine print on Tax Form 8936 - page 2. Oh well... nice try and wishful thinking on my part. Even without the tax credit, it is still a great lease deal. Thanks drinnovation.

 

Totally agreed that if you enjoy the car, the cost does not really matter.

Just point it out because I don't think you'd (or anyone) would enjoy an audit..

 

This is isn't quite true. Our house was built in 1963. When we bought it in 1999, it still had the original 60 amp fuse box and only had 120V service. And a lot of ungrounded plugs. One of the first things we did was upgrade the electrical panel to circuit breakers and 240V/125 amp service. We also added an electric dryer plug, since at the time we had an electric dryer. 11 years later we finally did what we should have done in the first place: bought a gas dryer. Electric bill dropped a good $140 a month, and our gas bill only went up about $30. That electric dryer circuit has since been repurposed to power the L2 EVSE I had put in.

 

Put your washing out on the line to dry naturally in the sun?

 

Sadly, not really possible when you live on the coast and get a lot of fog in the morning & evening...

 

It is quite true, if you see the word "most".

Sure it is. San Francisco has been inhabited a lot longer than dryers have existed.

 

Personally, I just dry the wash inside on a drying rack

 

Another things PEV owners should always consider is getting another service drop from your utility. Many of them are offering super discounted electric rates for electric vehicle, off-peak use, or interruptible service. Getting a second meter with a hardwired charge station is often less expensive than upgrading the existing panels and wiring. Who really cares if they interrupt your EV charging for 15 minutes twice a year.

 

The utility will certainly supply the second dedicated meter for the EV charging station for free, but the homeowners are typically on the hook for any upgrades that are necessary to support it. I have not heard of any utility that ran a second feed to a house for a dedicated charger. They might have upgraded the existing feed if the main panel could support it.

 

Not always for free, and often hidden over time. To switch to TODU I had to pay an upgraded "meter charge" of about $4 a month (they had to change the meter), and a second meter install would have cost ~1200 to have it installed.

 

I was fortunate that when I changed to TODU, that they had already installed a SmartMeter (at their expense), so there was no "meter charge". In fact PG&E charges extra for NOT having a SmartMeter, to cover their expense of having someone come out and read the traditional meter. This is for those folks afraid of the "radiation" from the SmartMeter as it transmits usage information.

 

With the solar PV system on the roof & the net-metering TODU meter, I'm back to having my meter read monthly. I find it ironic that the so-called SmartMeters that PG&E made us go to aren't smart enough to tell which direction electricity is flowing if you have a Solar or Wind system hooked up to your house. I think there's a monthly meter charge I have to pay now. I haven't gotten my first bill yet. In theory PG&E will be swapping the net-meter for a new SmartNetMeter eventually.

 

Has anyone just leased the plug in advanced version (the $40K+ Prius) under the new 3 year lease program? Just curious because we just leased a level 5 and decided against the plug in because it was "supposed" to crank another $100 a month on the lease. If so, if you don't mind me asking, what did you put down and what are your payments (top tier credit).