Florida Senate - 2009 SB 1610
By Senator Altman
24-01485A-09 20091610__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to financial incentives for electric
3 vehicles; providing definitions; exempting certain
4 categories of electric vehicles and components from
5 the tax on sales, use, and other transactions for a
6 certain time; specifying criteria; providing for
7 issuance of qualifying compliance certificates by the
8 Florida Solar Energy Center; providing for credits
9 against the corporate income tax for certain fleets of
10 certain categories of vehicles for a certain time;
11 providing criteria; providing fleet requirements;
12 providing for issuance of qualifying compliance
13 certificates by the Florida Solar Energy Center;
14 exempting certain vehicles from certain toll road
15 charges for a certain time; providing for issuance of
16 qualifying compliance certificates by the Florida
17 Solar Energy Center; providing for a one-time rebate
18 for a certain time to certain entities that install,
19 operate, and maintain certain qualifying public
20 charging stations for certain vehicles; specifying
21 criteria; limiting the number of rebates per year;
22 providing application requirements; providing for a
23 one-time rebate for a certain time to persons who
24 convert their automobile to a certain type of electric
25 or hybrid electric automobile; specifying criteria;
26 providing application requirements; specifying
27 eligibility requirements and limitations; limiting the
28 number of rebates per year; providing for
29 administrative costs of the center; providing
30 appropriations; providing an effective date.
31
32 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
33
34 Section 1. (1) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this
35 section, the term:
36 (a) “Automobile” means a car or light truck, including
37 minivan, sports utility vehicle, or pickup truck, with 4 wheels
38 and a curb weight of between 1,200 pounds and 5,800 pounds.
39 (b) “Center” means the Florida Solar Energy Center.
40 (c) “Highway-capable” means capable of maintaining a
41 sustained top speed of at least 60 miles per hour.
42 (2) SALES AND USE TAX EXEMPTIONS.—
43 (a) From July 1, 2009, through December 31, 2019, the
44 following categories of electric vehicles and electric vehicle
45 components are exempt from all state, county, and local sales
46 and use taxes upon sale or purchase by a state resident or
47 business, as well as upon application for title transfer,
48 registration, and tags to any county or state revenue or motor
49 vehicle office:
50 1. Highway-capable all-electric or plug-in hybrid electric
51 automobiles, either as original production or converted electric
52 vehicles, having a battery pack capacity of at least 10
53 kilowatt-hours, calculated at the battery manufacturer’s 1-hour
54 discharge rate.
55 2. The following components designed and manufactured for
56 highway-capable all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric
57 automobiles:
58 a. Electric propulsion motors with a continuous power
59 rating of at least 13 kilowatts and a peak power rating of at
60 least 34 kilowatts.
61 b. Direct current electric motor controllers and integrated
62 alternating current electric motor inverter/controllers having:
63 (I) A maximum input voltage from the battery pack to the
64 controller that is at least 280 volts direct current.
65 (II) A maximum input current from the battery pack to the
66 controller that is at least 60 amperes direct current.
67 c. Battery chargers having a maximum output charging
68 voltage of at least 350 volts direct current and a maximum
69 output charging current of at least 8 amperes direct current.
70 d. Lithium-ion, lithium-polymer, and nickel-metal-hydride
71 batteries, consisting of individual cells of at least 40 amp
72 hours capacity, specified at the battery manufacturer’s 1-hour
73 discharge rate, when such batteries are purchased in an
74 aggregate volume of at least 10 kilowatt-hours, calculated at
75 the battery manufacturer’s 1-hour discharge rate.
76 e. Vehicle and model-specific aftermarket conversion kits,
77 with a battery pack capacity of at least 5 kilowatt-hours,
78 calculated at the battery manufacturer’s 1-hour discharge rate,
79 to convert either a gasoline or gasoline-electric hybrid
80 automobile into a highway-capable all-electric or plug-in hybrid
81 electric automobile, for which the converted vehicle has been
82 tested and certified as:
83 (I) Conforming to National Highway Traffic Safety
84 Administration Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
85 (II) Maintaining conformance for the converted vehicle to
86 the same United States Environmental Protection Agency emissions
87 standards as that of the unconverted vehicle.
88 (b) Qualifying compliance certificates shall be issued for
89 each individual vehicle by the center’s Electric Drive
90 Transportation Technologies Group through its designated
91 regional inspection offices, which offices shall be selected by
92 and operated under the supervision and direction of the Electric
93 Drive Transportation Technologies Group.
94 (3) TAX CREDITS FOR CORPORATE FLEETS.—
95 (a) Any corporation located and doing business in this
96 state that files and pays the corporate income tax imposed by
97 chapter 220, Florida Statutes, and operates within the state a
98 fleet of 10 or more qualifying highway-capable all-electric or
99 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles is entitled to an annual tax
100 credit of $1,000 per vehicle per year for each qualifying
101 vehicle each year from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2014.
102 Qualifying vehicles are defined as those satisfying one of the
103 following categories:
104 1. Highway-capable all-electric or plug-in hybrid electric
105 automobiles, either as original production or converted electric
106 vehicles, having a battery pack capacity of at least 10
107 kilowatt-hours, calculated at the battery manufacturer’s 1-hour
108 discharge rate.
109 2. Highway-capable all-electric or plug-in hybrid electric
110 automobiles that have been converted using conversion kits
111 conforming to Federal Government standards, defined as follows
112 and meeting the following criteria:
113 a. Conforming to National Highway Traffic Safety
114 Administration Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
115 b. Maintaining conformance for the converted vehicle to the
116 same United States Environmental Protection Agency emissions
117 standards as that of the unconverted vehicle.
118 (b) A fleet may consist of any combination of vehicles that
119 qualify under subparagraph (a)1. or subparagraph (a)2. In order
120 to be counted in the fleet total, a qualifying vehicle must have
121 valid and current Florida registration and tags.
122 (c) Qualifying compliance certificates shall be issued for
123 each individual vehicle by the center’s Electric Drive
124 Transportation Technologies Group through its designated
125 regional inspection offices, which offices shall be selected by
126 and operated under the supervision and direction of the Electric
127 Drive Transportation Technologies Group.
128 (d) Corporations operating fleets of fewer than 10
129 qualifying vehicles within the state are not eligible for the
130 tax credit.
131 (4) TOLL EXEMPTIONS.—
132 (a) From July 1, 2009, through December 31, 2019, highway
133 capable all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric automobiles,
134 either as original production or converted electric vehicles,
135 with a battery pack capacity of at least 10 kilowatt-hours,
136 calculated at the battery manufacturer’s 1-hour discharge rate,
137 shall be exempt from paying tolls on all toll roads in this
138 state using the SunPass system and shall be equipped with
139 special SunPass transponders for that purpose.
140 (b) Qualifying compliance certificates shall be issued for
141 each individual vehicle by the center’s Electric Drive
142 Transportation Technologies Group through its designated
143 regional inspection offices, which offices shall be selected by
144 and operated under the supervision and direction of the Electric
145 Drive Transportation Technologies Group.
146 (5) REBATES FOR INSTALLATION OF PUBLIC CHARGING STATIONS.—
147 (a) From July 1, 2009, through December 31, 2016, any
148 business, commercial establishment, or academic, health care,
149 library, or other institution or any local, county, or state
150 governmental entity that installs, operates, and maintains a
151 qualifying public charging station for highway-capable electric
152 vehicles shall be eligible for a one-time $2,000 rebate from the
153 state for each individual charging station installed within 12
154 months after the installation date. The location of the electric
155 vehicle charging station must be in a parking lot or garage, or
156 section thereof, that is open to the public, without
157 restriction. Electric vehicle charging stations installed in
158 parking lots and garages, or sections thereof, that require
159 permits or have other restrictions making them inaccessible to
160 the general public shall disqualify the site owner and operator
161 from eligibility for the $2,000 rebate. Only the site owner and
162 operator shall be eligible for the rebate, not an installing
163 contractor or an equipment or material vendor, supplier, or
164 consultant. In order to qualify for the rebate, the electric
165 vehicle charging station must satisfy all of the following
166 criteria:
167 1. The charging station equipment must comply with National
168 Electrical Code Article 625 pertaining to 208 to 240 volt public
169 charging stations.
170 2. The charging station equipment must conform to Society
171 of Automotive Engineers J1772 Standard for 208 to 240 volt
172 public charging stations.
173 3. The charging station equipment must have an Underwriters
174 Laboratory listing.
175 4. The charging station equipment must be capable of
176 operating at 208 to 240 volts alternating current input from the
177 electrical grid and have a capability of providing at least 24
178 amperes to the electric vehicle at 208 to 240 volts alternating
179 current.
180 (b) The rebate program shall be capped and limited to the
181 first 100 qualifying charging station applications in each
182 calendar year, requiring a maximum appropriation and funding by
183 the state of $200,000 per year. Applications for the rebate
184 shall be submitted to and administered by the center’s Electric
185 Drive Transportation Technologies Group. Rebate payments shall
186 be disbursed by the Department of Revenue upon notification and
187 authorization of such payments by the Electric Drive
188 Transportation Technologies Group.
189 (6) REBATES FOR CONVERSION KITS CONFORMING TO FEDERAL
190 GOVERNMENT STANDARDS.—
191 (a) From July 1, 2009, through December 31, 2013, any
192 resident of or business in this state shall be eligible for a
193 one-time $2,000 rebate from the state within 12 months after a
194 conversion, at a qualifying kit manufacturer’s authorized
195 installation facility in this state, of his or her or its
196 automobile to a highway-capable all-electric or plug-in hybrid
197 electric automobile. To qualify, the conversion kit must be a
198 vehicle and model-specific aftermarket conversion kit, with a
199 battery pack capacity of at least 5 kilowatt-hours, calculated
200 at the battery manufacturer’s 1-hour discharge rate, to convert
201 either a gasoline or gasoline-electric hybrid automobile into
202 either an all-electric or plug-in hybrid electric automobile,
203 for which the converted vehicle has been tested and certified
204 as:
205 1. Conforming to National Highway Traffic Safety
206 Administration Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
207 2. Maintaining conformance for the converted vehicle to the
208 same United States Environmental Protection Agency emissions
209 standards as that of the unconverted vehicle.
210 (b) Applications for the rebate shall be submitted to and
211 administered by the center’s Electric Drive Transportation
212 Technologies Group. Rebate payments shall be disbursed by the
213 Department of Revenue upon notification and authorization of
214 such payments by the Electric Drive Transportation Technologies
215 Group.
216 (c) In order to be eligible for the rebate, the converted
217 vehicle must have valid and current Florida registration and
218 tags.
219 (d) Only the owner of the vehicle at the time of conversion
220 shall be eligible for the rebate. Subsequent owners of the
221 converted vehicle are not eligible for the rebate. As the rebate
222 program administrator, the center’s Electric Drive
223 Transportation Technologies Group shall maintain a registry of
224 the vehicle identification numbers of converted vehicles for
225 which a rebate has been paid in order to prevent duplicate
226 applications for the same vehicle by subsequent owners, which
227 shall be denied.
228 (e) The rebate program shall be capped and limited to the
229 first 100 qualifying converted vehicles in each calendar year,
230 requiring a maximum appropriation and funding by the state of
231 $200,000 per year.
232 (7) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—It is estimated that the center’s
233 administrative costs relating to this section will require the
234 appropriation and funding of an additional $200,000 per year,
235 which shall be specifically designated for and committed to the
236 center’s Electric Drive Transportation Technologies Group,
237 supplemental to Florida Solar Energy Center’s general budget.
238 Section 2. (1) The sum of $200,000 per year for fiscal
239 years 2009-2010 through 2015-2016 is appropriated from the
240 General Revenue Fund to the Department of Revenue to administer
241 subsection (5) of section 1.
242 (2) The sum of $200,000 per year for fiscal years 2009-2010
243 through 2012-2013 is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund
244 to the Department of Revenue to administer subsection (6) of
245 section 1.
246 (3) The sum of $200,000 per year for fiscal years 2009-2010
247 through 2018-2019 is appropriated from the General Revenue Fund
248 to the Florida Solar Energy Center to administer subsection (7)
249 of section 1.
250 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009.