Former Tesla employee Gore to lead U.S. zero emission advocacy group, Auto News, ET Auto

By David Shepardson

Albert Gore III, a former Tesla public policy employee, has been named executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA), the Washington-based group said on Wednesday.

Congress in 2021 approved $5 billion for EV charging stations and in August passed new electric vehicle tax credits.

“Lots of work ahead, starting with implementation of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program and new industrial policies in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Gore in a LinkedIn post.

He is the son of the former vice president and co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his climate campaigning.

Gore worked for Tesla for nearly seven years in public policy and business development.

ZETA members include Tesla, Lucid Motors, Rivian, LG, Alphabet’s Waymo, Uber, Panasonic and Albemarle.

President Joe Biden wants 50% of new U.S. vehicles to be electric or plug-in electric hybrid by 2030.

The $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in August revised EV tax credit rules, ending $7,500 consumer tax credits for purchases of EVs assembled outside North America, angering South Korea, the European Union, Japan and others.

Joe Britton, ZETA’s previous executive director, said “much of the conversation around EVs over the next few years will focus on implementation and deployment” after congressional action.

Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department said EVs leased by consumers can qualify for up to $7,500 in commercial clean vehicle tax credits, a decision making those assembled outside North America eligible.

The law also restricts battery minerals and component sourcing, sets income and price caps for qualifying vehicles and seeks to phase out Chinese battery minerals or components. The commercial credit does not have restrictions imposed on the consumer credit.

The IRA lifts the 200,000-vehicle per manufacturer cap that had made Tesla and General Motors ineligible for EV tax credits.

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