Huge $6000 Colorado State Tax Credit for Volt

[zaxdude]

You'll see the incremental price diff after FTC is close over 2K.. and then you only get a fraction of the difference as the credit. Before it was capped at the 6K max.. so the full difference was not being applied. With the price reduction the credit is below the cap.. but just a small amount.

huh? The "base" incremental price difference differs between the two model years by $3,360 ($21,580 - $18,220). After the Federal Tax Credit (FTC), the incremental price difference still differs between the two model years by $3,360 ($14,080 - $10,720). (their displayed math is wrong on the 2012, though: 18220 - 7500 = 10,720...not 11,720. 10,720 * .55 = 5,896).

So...my main question still exists if anyone may have insight. Why would the two models years have an incremental price difference of over $3,300? I will try to email the state today to see what they say. It will probably be 2013 before I get an answer. haha.

[gieso]

I think it is based upon the base MSRP of the vehicle. The 2011 Volts were all fully loaded with NAV, etc.so the base MSRP is higher. When the 2012's came out, GM pulled out a bunch of features and made them options to get the base price lower to make the car's price seem more attractive.

It might be feasible to use actual costs for the comparison instead of the examples used for the Colorado FYI. Check with a tax guy to make sure. This sounds like a bunch of effort to get $120, but that is your call.

[zaxdude]

I emailed the tax authority powers that be here in CO. It's not so much the $120....just curious how they arrived at what they did. It may very well be a result of GM pulling some features to get the base price lower. But GM certainly didn't shave $3k off the base price of the 2012 by removing said features.

In the end, I'd think they were comparing apples to apples & oranges to oranges -- the higher priced base 2011 against a comparatively equipped 2011 vehicle (which would cost more too) as compared to a lower priced base 2012 against a comparatively equipped 2012 vehicle (which would cost less too). I would have anticipated it being basically a wash (not a $3,300 difference).

I'll report back the response from CO.