U.S. New Vehicle Purchase Incentive Information
3500 & 4500 Gov’t Car Vouchers – 2009 Obama Auto Stimulus Program
Jul 22, 2009
In a rulemaking notice (entitled “Day One Notice”) posted on cars.gov, the United States federal government provided details about the Cash for Clunkers program and promised to provide final regulations by July 24, 2009.
The article Federal Car Rebate Program Website – cars.gov discusses what information is currently available to the public through the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) website, cars.gov. This article will discuss what to expect on cars.gov as of July 24th.
Cash for Clunkers Information Deadline
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), consumers can expect to see the following Cash for Clunkers details as of July 24, 2009:
- A list of CARS eligible new autos. These new vehicles will meet combined miles per gallon requirements and the $45,000 price cap as required by the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009.
- A list of new vehicles in each CARS program category (passenger automobiles and category 1, 2, or 3 trucks). In the meantime, the article Which Cars Qualify for U.S. Government Vouchers describes these vehicle categories. Note: This information is also available in chart form on cars.gov.
- Combined miles per gallon values for 1984 model vehicles. Currently, this information is available for 1985 vehicles forward on fueleconomy.gov. To access this information, navigate to fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm, select the appropriate model year & make, then look for the “estimated New EPA MPG” section. The “combined” miles per gallon value is what matters for this program; city and highway miles per gallon are irrelevant.
U.S. New Vehicle Purchase Program – Search for Registered Dealers
After the Cash for clunkers Program rules are published on July 24, 2009, car dealerships will know how to officially register for the program. Once the dealer registration process has begun, consumers should be able to search for registered dealers on cars.gov and perhaps nhtsa.gov.
$3,500 & $4,500 Federal Government Car Vouchers Funding Status
This government program is slated to end on November 1, 2009 or when the funds run out, whichever occurs first. As the Cash for Clunkers program winds down, the NHTSA will develop a means of letting participating dealerships and/or the public know if funds are running out. The status of funding is important because dealerships will not be reimbursed for issuing car vouchers after federal Cash for Clunkers funds have been exhausted.
Obama New Auto Stimulus Incentives Hotline & Further Reading
The NHTSA has dedicated a phone number to this auto stimulus program. Consumers with questions about $3,500 and $4,500 credit vouchers may call 1-866-CAR-7891. For more details on this Obama auto stimulus measure, see the article United States Cash for Clunkers Program Details.
Resources:
Cars.gov
Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009
Day One Notice retrieved from cars.gov on July 7, 2009
Fueleconomy.gov
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