Tesla recently passed the 200,000 sales mark, which triggers the phase out of the federal tax credits for Tesla buyers. Now General Motors is set to be the second automaker to pass the 200,000 mark as well.

2019 Chevy Volt

According to Edmunds General Motors has sold 186,670 Chevrolet Bolt and Spark EVs, Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids and Cadillac CT6 plug-in hybrids so far. General Motors believes that it will pass the 200,000 limit this year, but Edmunds believes that the automaker will pass the limit in the first quarter of 2019.

“When you look at Tesla moving to end of rebates at end of July, it does bring to forefront the larger question of how these pioneers are going to be operating,” said Jeremy Acevedo, an automotive analyst with Edmunds. “One of the things GM is pretty clear about, though, is using this period as a springboard for the future they see on horizon. In that way, they have made inroads no other mainstream automakers have.”

Now that the EV tax credits are almost gone for both Tesla and General Motors, it will be interesting to see how sales are impacted once the credits are done. In March GM CEO Mary Barra asked for an expansion of the EV tax credit, which was enacted during the Obama administration in 2009.

“Helping things that can help drive adoption and growth of EVs today is only going to help accelerate not just General Motors, but the whole industry on that path,” GM President Dan Ammann recently told reporters.

Source: The Detroit News