Report Title:

Electric vehicles

 

Description:

Extends incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles from 5 to 10 years. (HB1344 HD1)

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1344

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. In 1997, the legislature passed Act 290 Session Laws of Hawaii, 1997, to establish incentives for the purchase and use of electric vehicles. However, due to the limited number of electric vehicles available in Hawaii, the program enjoyed minimal success.

Currently, all of the major automobile manufacturers are producing electric vehicles, principally driven by a California mandate for zero emission vehicle sales. As the manufacturers prepare for production to address the mandate that takes effect with model year 2003, greater opportunities arise for an increase in availability of electric vehicles in Hawaii.

Since the inception of Act 290, the high technology development corporation, through its Hawaii electric vehicle demonstration project, initiated a project to install high power, rapid chargers for battery-powered electric vehicles throughout the State in an effort to encourage automobile manufactures to market their electric vehicles in Hawaii. Hyundai Motor Company recently selected Hawaii as its introductory site for its initial entry into the United States electric vehicle market. To confirm this commitment, the president of Hyundai Motor Company signed a memorandum of understanding with the governor on November 20, 2000, to provide a fleet of Santa Fe electric sport utility vehicles by June 30, 2001, for use with the rapid charging infrastructure.

The purpose of this Act is to extend for an additional five-year period, the incentives established under Act 290.

SECTION 2. Act 290, Session Laws of Hawaii 1997, is amended by amending section 5 to read as follows:

"SECTION 5. For a period of [five] ten years from the effective date of this Act, the motor vehicle registration fee and other fees, if any, assessed upon or associated with the registration of an electric vehicle in this State, including any fees associated with the issuance of a license plate described in section 3, shall be waived; provided that the department of transportation shall review the incentive program every two years to determine the proper level of incentives for continuation of the program."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.