In a recent speech at an auto factory in North Carolina, President Obama outlined a new plan to encourage more production of alternative fuel vehicles.
There were high hopes for models like the Chevrolet Volt, but General Motors recently announced it is suspending production on the car for five weeks due to sluggish sales. Other automakers have also scaled back their plans to introduce electric vehicles.
Obama said that he hopes to increase the federal tax credit on alternative energy cars from $7,500 to $10,000, and has plans to make it an instant rebate as well, reports USA Today. He also called on Congress to pass a new $1 billion initiative to build more fueling stations for electric, natural gas and hydrogen vehicles. Right now, the fueling stations are too sparse to make the vehicles feasible for the average driver, Obama said.
The administration will also solely buy alternative energy vehicles for its fleet in 2015, to encourage automaker to produce more of the cars.
Whether you have a green vehicle or an older used car, auto maintenance is critical to keeping it on the road. Regular tune-ups and oil changes can catch problems before they become too expensive to deal with.