Ada Electric Cars sues tax commission

subscribe

An electric vehicle dealer has asked a Garfield County judge to prevent the Oklahoma Tax Commission from enforcing an emergency rule the dealer claims prohibits buyers of his vehicles from claiming a state tax credit for electric cars.

A lawsuit filed in state district court in Enid by Ada Electric Cars names the Tax Commission and its three commissioners — Thomas Kemp Jr., Jerry Johnson and Constance Irby — as defendants, said Roger Gaddis, owner of the dealership.

The tax credit totals 50 percent of the purchase price of an electric vehicle and can be spread over five years.

But an emergency rule passed September 17 excludes electric vehicles whose bodies are similar to a golf cart or go-cart instead of a traditional passenger automobile from eligibility for an existing tax credit as well as vehicles that are principally designed and manufactured for sporting or recreational purposes.

Gaddis said the rule will effectively prohibit people who have already purchased the golf cart-like electric vehicles he sells from claiming the tax credit even though the vehicles exceed federal highway standards for street-legal cars.

"They were engineered from the get-go to be street legal, low-speed vehicles," Gaddis said. "We didn't try to slip in the back door by putting seat belts on a golf cart."

The vehicles, manufactured by Tomberlin, have been licensed with the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Commission for more than three years, he said.

Ironically, a day after adopting the emergency rule the Tax Commission qualified two vehicles manufactured by a golf cart company, Club Cars, for the tax credit, Gaddis said. He said their specifications match the vehicles made by Tomberlin almost exactly.

"This is a perfect example of government out of control," Gaddis said. "It's time for taxpayers to say to the OTC: 'Enough, I don't work for you, you work for us.'"

Tax commission spokeswoman Paula Ross said commission officials had not seen the lawsuit and had no comment on it.

Related News

houston power pole

Hot Houston summer and cold winter set new electricity records

HOUSTON - Last year's Houston cold winter and hot summer drove power use to record levels, especially among households that rely on electricity for air conditioning.

Electricity generation increased 4 per cent nationwide in 2018 and produced 4,178 million megawatt hours, surpassing the previous peak of 4,157 megawatt hours set in 2007, the Energy Department reported.

U.S. households bought 6 percent more electricity in 2018 than they did the previous year, reflecting the fact 87 percent of households cool their homes with air conditioning and 35 percent use electricity for heating.

Electricity sales to the commercial sector increased 2 percent in 2018 compared…

READ MORE
gaza power plant

Gaza’s sole electricity plant shuts down after running out of fuel

READ MORE

electricity lines

Coal demand dropped in Europe over winter despite energy crisis

READ MORE

understanding-risks-of-ev-fires-in-helene-flooding

Understanding the Risks of EV Fires in Helene Flooding

READ MORE

hvdc

Project examines potential for Europe's power grid to increase HVDC Technology

READ MORE