Electric Cars Giving Electric Charge to Economy

By Kirsten McIntyre, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Federal and state tax credits has allowed many Oklahomans to buy electric cars for virtually nothing.

Scott Kaplan recently purchased a new electric car. Kaplan said it is a great vehicle to use at his lake home where he drives it legally on roads where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.

"You got your seatbelts, your headlights, you got low beams, high beams, you got your horn, you got your windshield wipers," Kaplan said.

Kaplan said he was considering buying another golf cart until he heard about the tax credits he could receive by buying a street legal electric car.

"With all the options we got on it, paid the whole vehicle. I think we went over the tax credit by $11," Kaplan said.

Roger Gaddis owns Ada Electric Cars. He said with the current incentives, business couldn't be better.

"So, $4,495 from federal, $4,000 from the state is more than enough to cover the cost of an $8,000 purchase," Gaddis said. "We can't keep them in stock at all."

Oklahoma is the only state in the country offering a 50 percent tax credit on the purchase of a street legal electric car, and until December 31, the federal government's incentive makes them virtually free. It was a deal Kaplan said he couldn't pass up.

"So if I'm going to pay my taxes and then I can get something for my taxes then this was a win win for me personally," Kaplan said.

Federal tax credits has created a rush around the nation, so dealers recommend acting within the next four to six weeks. Otherwise, there may not be time to get a vehicle before the end of the year.

Find local electric cars online at  Bigman Electric Vehicles or Ada Electric Cars.