Buy These EVs Before The End Of The Year To Get The Full $7,500 Federal Tax Credit

It's better for the planet and people who breathe air if more people who drive gas-powered cars switch to driving electric vehicles, so it makes sense that the federal government would want to incentivize making the switch. The fact that the incentive is a tax credit can make it difficult to understand, though, and the ever-changing list of cars that qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit doesn't make it any easier.

Unfortunately for EV shoppers, Trump has already said he plans to get rid of the tax credit completely, so if you want to take advantage of it, you should probably do that before he takes office. Here's the current list of all the cars that currently qualify for the full $7,500 credit if they're placed into service before December 31.

H/T: Consumer Reports

The Acura ZDX is built on General Motors' Ultium platform and may not feel like other Acuras, but a $7,500 discount may help you justify buying one. It applies to 2024 model year ZDXs with an MSRP of less than $80,000.

The Cadillac Lyriq is also built on GM's Ultium platform but has a nicer interior than its platform-mate the Acura ZDX. In fact, it's just a nice interior period without any qualifiers. You'll have to keep the MSRP of the Lyriq you buy under $80,000 to qualify for the tax credit, though.

The Chevrolet Blazer EV got off to an incredibly rough start, but allegedly, those problems have been fixed by now. Also, in case you were wondering, yes, it's also built on the Ultium platform. That said, you can get a fully loaded all-wheel-drive Blazer EV RS for less than $80,000, so you don't have to worry about the price cap impacting your tax credit.

The Chevrolet Bolt isn't as quick or sporty as the Tesla Model 3, but it's a practical, affordable EV that would probably be ideal for most drivers. You can even get it with GM's SuperCruise driver-assist technology. Sadly, GM killed the Bolt, but you can probably still find some new ones on dealer lots. Also, like the Blazer EV, prices don't go high enough to worry about it not being eligible for the tax credit, but technically, it does have to stay under $55,000.

What do you know. Yet another GM product. Still, when we drove the Chevrolet Equinox EV, we found that it wasn't just the least expensive way to get an EV with 300 miles of range. It's also a legitimately good car that drives better than you'd expect from an EV priced in the mid-$30,000 range after the $7,500 tax credit is applied.

Chevrolet is pushing the RST version of the Silverado EV, which is far too expensive for the $80,000 cutoff, but if you can find one, the LT Extended Range should qualify as long as you don't add too many options. Regardless, if you're interested in a Silverado EV, talk to your dealer to make sure you don't end up buying a version that doesn't qualify for the tax credit.

Finally, a vehicle that isn't built on a GM platform. And a minivan, even! The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid PHEV isn't a full EV but does still offer enough range to cover most of your daily driving without needing to use the engine. As a minivan, it has to cost less than $80,000 to qualify for the tax credit, but that shouldn't be a problem with the Pacifica.

While some other automakers decided to build electric pickup trucks that clearly stand out, the F-150 Lightning pretty much just looks like any other F-150 on the road. It's also just a legitimately good truck. Higher-end models can easily cross the $80,000 mark, though, so don't go wild with the options if you want the full tax credit.

We're back to yet another Ultium-based EV, this time from Honda. Like the ZDX, the Honda Prologue doesn't really feel like a Honda, but we found it's a solid EV. Paired with the full $7,500 tax credit, it won't be surprising to see a lot more of these on the road, especially since even loaded versions don't cross the $80,000 mark.

One of the fun (read: tricky and annoying) things about the tax credit is that the MSRP cap is lower if you buy a sedan. So while the Tesla Model 3 does qualify for the full tax credit, the Model 3 Performance and its $54,990 MSRP gets scarily close to crossing the line. Also, don't give your money to the incoming unelected co-president in the first place.

You would think the more spacious, more practical Model Y would cost more than the Model 3 if you wanted the Performance model, but at the time of writing, the Model Y Performance is about $3,500 cheaper than the Model 3. Not that it really matters in terms of getting the tax credit because the Model Y is an SUV and can qualify with an MSRP of up to $80,000.

Tesla barely sells the Model X anymore, but if you really want one, you can pick up a base model for $79,990. How convenient that it's priced just $10 under the MSRP cutoff that would keep people from qualifying for the $7,500 tax credit. Also, in case you were wondering, the Model S didn't make the list because its base price is far above the $55,000 MSRP cutoff. Not that you should be giving your money to that sorry excuse for a father either way.

When we first drove the Volkswagen ID4, we weren't exactly impressed. It was basically an EV for people whose only requirement was "crossover." The updated version, on the other hand, is much better. The downside to the improvements is that they're only offered on higher-end versions of the ID4. Even if you load up an ID4 AWD Pro S, though, you shouldn't be in any danger of crossing the $80,000 cutoff.