Lawsuits against the EPA and IRS have up to $7,500 in credits on the line for the federally
classified low-speed vehicle category
ANAHEIM,
Calif., July 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States federal government is
attempting to advance the country's use of Electric Vehicles (EVs)
through federal tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. The
eligibility requirements have resulted in a very limited set of
qualifying models, and excludes the lowest cost, easiest to charge,
and most efficient EV for local travel in low-speed vehicles
(LSVs). Waev is leading the industry in this first-of-its-kind
legal action to increase the accessibility of low-speed EVs with
recently filed federal court actions against the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
"Not all EVs need to travel more than 200 miles or operate at
highway speeds – especially when roughly 50 percent of trips are
less than five miles on local roads. Safe, street-legal,
right-sized low-speed electric vehicles should be incentivized as
the important mode of modern mobility that they are, not excluded
by an antiquated regulation," said Paul
Vitrano, chief legal and policy officer of Waev. "LSVs are a
viable alternative to full-size cars, trucks and vans and their low
cost – coupled with the federal incentives – will help more
Americans access sustainable vehicles."
The IRS is relying on a 1974 EPA regulation that improperly
narrowed the definition of "motor vehicle" to exclude vehicles that
do not exceed 25 mph, nearly 25 years before the LSV category of
motor vehicles was established by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA). As a result, Waev filed a petition
for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit,
seeking to invalidate the 50-year-old EPA regulation. Waev also
filed a lawsuit against the IRS in the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia seeking to
reverse the IRS' exclusion of LSVs in its IRA final rule issued
May 6, 2024. Waev has engaged global
law firm Sidley Austin LLP on both suits, following their latest
successes challenging EPA regulations, including most recently
before the U.S. Supreme Court in Ohio v. EPA.
"Personal and commercial customers are increasingly turning to
GEM as a safe, enjoyable and cost-efficient EV. As part of the
ever-changing motor vehicle industry, we felt it was important to
take the legal steps necessary to require the EPA and IRS to
recognize this platform and the important role it can play growing
this sustainable method of transportation," Vitrano added.
Low-Speed Vehicles
LSVs are street-legal, four-wheeled vehicles, certified to
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 500, with a top speed of
25 mph and a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,000 lbs.
GEM is designed for use in communities, on campuses, and in cities,
and can be driven on most U.S. roads posted 35 mph or less. GEM two
to six seat passenger vehicles and two-seat truck models provide
drivers with a safe, sustainable, cost-efficient EV alternative to
sedans, vans and trucks.
More than half of U.S. roadways are 35 miles per hour or less,
and that number is growing constantly as more cities are lowering
speed limits to increase safe, healthy and equitable mobility. A
first-of-its-kind webapp from Waev – GEM Go – identifies
roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or lower, which are legal
for LSV operation in most areas.
Learn more about GEM electric vehicles
at www.gemcar.com/low-speed-vehicles/.
Case Information – Case: 1:24-cv-02004 and USCA Case
#24-1232.
About Waev Inc.
About Waev Inc.
Waev Inc. provides access to safe and dependable electric vehicles
through the manufacturing, distribution and support of the GEM,
Taylor-Dunn and Tiger product lines. Founded in 2021, Waev is
redefining EVs to make life and work easier, more efficient and
more enjoyable. This is driven by our commitment to sustainable,
safe, future-focused solutions that lead to the adoption and
advancement of electrification without compromising the job or
purpose of the vehicle. Our collaborative and agile partnerships
stem from these shared values and common pursuit to advance
mobility.
GEM has been an established EV leader in the LSV space for 25
years. Taylor-Dunn has a rich 70-year legacy of providing tailored
industrial vehicles. Tiger heavy-duty tow tractors have been towing
cargo, baggage, parcel, and other equipment for ground support
applications since 1981. All vehicles are engineered and produced
at the Waev headquarters and manufacturing center of excellence in
Southern California. Visit us at
waevinc.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Waev Inc.