‘It Definitely Worked:’ Woman Says That Because The $7,500 Tax Credit Is Going Away, You Should Negotiate Now
How will the end of the federal tax credit on EVs affect sales and give prospective vehicular negotiators the upper hand?
If you’re looking to purchase a new electric vehicle, don’t shy away from haggling. That’s according to TikTok user Amanda (@themanidiway), who says that the United States’s scheduled dissolution of the $7,500 Federal EV Tax Credit on Sept. 30, 2025, could result in big savings. Chase Auto Finance indicates that this applies to the $4,000 tax credit on used EVs as well.
So how will this affect EV sales and give prospective vehicular negotiators the upper hand? Amanda breaks it down in her clip. She contends that the removal of this incentive will more than likely make EV costs “extremely unaffordable” for many drivers. Amanda goes on to speculate that removing these incentives will impact consumer trends and that dealers will carry fewer electric vehicles. Consequently, she says that dealerships are now “willing to take a loss on these vehicles just to get them off their lot.”
That’s because the $7,500 and $4,000 tax breaks, while still available, might influence more drivers to purchase an EV. However, since the effective costs of these vehicles will go up once these incentives disappear, Amanda contends that dealerships will be left with inventories of higher-priced EVs.
EV Lease Deals: $7,500 Incentives Rolled In
Amanda also asserts in her video that these tax incentives are particularly alluring for those looking to lease due to discounts being instantly factored into their monthly car notes. Consequently, there have been some eye-popping deals offered to drivers. For instance, Colorado commuters were able to snatch up a Fiat 500e with zero down and a zero-dollar monthly payment. As long as you were a resident of the Centennial State, paid for sales tax, insurance, and registration fees, the ride was yours for no additional monthly costs for the duration of the lease. Well, as long as you had a credit score of 700 or more.
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Other lease deals, while not as tempting as $0/monthly, seem to have enticed buyers interested in electric vehicles as well. The Honda Prologue’s success has proven this is the case, as it is one of the most affordable offerings in the Japanese automaker’s lineup. But this success may be short-lived as lease prices have more than doubled between its 2024 and 2025 variants. For instance, the 2024 Prologue AWD EX could be had for $239 a month with $3,199 down, but the 2025 model of the same trim level shoots up to $599 per month. Moreover, the down payment cost skyrocketed: Folks are expected to shell out $4,299 at signing.
Others Echo Her EV Urgings
Bloomberg has also stated that leasing an electric vehicle before the incentives are taken away could be a smart financial decision for folks cruising for a new ride. “Before federal incentives expire, EV makers are rushing to grab customers with affordable leasing deals,” the outlet said.
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These savings can even be applied to swankier options, like the Mercedes-Benz EQB. Despite its $53,000 price tag, consumers can nab it for $352 a month, according to Bloomberg. InsideEVs has also listed the EQB as a lease deal worth scoping out, but it should be noted that this is for the 2024 version of the car. And if you’re a fan of Hyundai’s EV lineup, you might be intrigued by the 2025 Ioniq 6’s $4,000 down, $169/month offer. It should be noted that this is for a 24-month term.
If owning a vehicle is more your thing, who’s to say you can’t pursue a lease-to-own option down the road, too? If what Amanda says is true, you might be able to negotiate a decent buyout price once your lease’s term expires and the tax credit has gone away.
Furthermore, the TikToker recommends bringing up the fact that you know these tax incentives are going the way of the Fisker Pear. She suggests that doing so could help drive down the cost of an EV. Which could be the case, especially for lease deals that roll in federal EV tax incentives. She said that she utilized this tactic “to [her] advantage, and it definitely worked.”
Via email, Amanda told InsideEVs that her vehicle is an Audi A6 e-tron premium plus with the all-weather package. She said she negotiated $22,000 off the vehicle.
"I leased it & am very much enjoying all the features!" Amanda added.
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