Big Chunk of Owners Will Not Buy 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime Because of Tax Credit Phaseout
I read a meme on the internet a few days ago where it said, “it’s easier to shake the president’s hand than it is to get a RAV4 Prime in a month.” I hate to break it to you, but it’s true. Time and time again we have covered the insane waiting times for the RAV4 Prime and why it takes so long. To imagine how long it really takes, some Canadians are waiting 3-5 years just for a base model RAV4 Prime. Luckily for them they will get the respective model year and not a 2022.
However, this leads to a lot of people making a tough decision. As the United States government phases out the EV tax credit, while people on the list still follow through with it? Surprisingly given the gas crisis the world is in right now, that answer is no for 53% of the people who voted on a poll.
On Facebook’s Official Toyota RAV4 Prime group, Paul Prose asked, “Since it appears that the Federal tax credit is going away this week, in regard to our cars, and you are on a waiting list, will you still buy the car?” Below that question he put a poll to interact with. Now there were like 4 other answers added in by people who couldn’t answer a yes or no question but for the sake of the argument, I will only use the top answered poll which was yes or no.
Surprisingly, 53% of the poll said they would not follow through with their order. Which means if their deposit was non-refundable, which most of them are, then they are not in the hole and in the market for another car.
John Kotseas said, “I probably would have gone with the regular hybrid.” He also said it was because of price. However, I think that’s not logical. If you were to buy the Prime, you would make up the difference in price within a few years because of the money you are saving on gas.
I think that the more people realize that PHEV is the way to go rather than hybrid or electric, the more this economy will get back on track. If we switch to EV overnight, the number of jobs and business that would go belly up would be astronomical. The right thing to do is to find better energy ways which would help businesses rather than hurt them.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun and on YouTube at Toyota Time for daily Toyota news.