The state is extending incentives to help drivers buy electric vehicles, as manufacturers try to keep up with growing demand.
The deadline to take advantage of state rebates on E-car and charging station purchases had been September of this year. but buyers are still getting cars that qualify, and there's about a million dollars left over.
The new deadline is January 31st of next year.
Electric vehicles can be seen more and more these days on Hawaii roads and in dealership lots... but they don't tend to stay there for long.
"The demand is off the chart. The 2011 model year is completely sold out, so people are already making reservations through us for their 2012 model year leaf," says Bill Mickelsen, King Windward Nissan.
Strong sales and production schedules delayed somewhat by the Japan tsunami mean existing customers may need more time to take advantage of state and federal rebates they relied on when making their purchase decision.
The state is giving four months longer by stretching the deadline for a 4,500 dollar car and 500 dollar charging station rebate from september to January 31st instead.
It was the refund catching up with the production schedule, and now that the cars are getting on the roadway and here," says Dave Rolf, Hawaii Auto Dealers Association.
And there appears to be some money left over -- just over a million dollars in the state electric car fund, after the state already approved 128 rebates for 68 cars and 60 chargers.
It came from federal ARRA funds, stimulus funds, to it was allotted at a certain amount. if the state wants to keep jump-starting the transition to these new type of vehicles, yes, I think rebates help do that," says Rolf.
Between full electric and hybrid electric, lots of choices will soon be seen on Hawaii's highways
Mitsubishi IMEV folks and Volt, Prius people brining their plug-in Prius, we've just seen the wheego here, and lots of other things coming. Chrysler is even going to do it as a test market for their truck," says Rolf.
"It's catching on, I think everybody knows gas prices ain't going to go down much in the future, if anything they're going to go up, and with that said, coming home, plugging in your car, just like your cell phone, you wake up in the morning, your car's ready to go, 100 miles," says Mickelson.
Incentives can reach as much as 13,500 when a 7,500 dollar federal tax credit is factored in.
