(1) The tax imposed by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to:

(a) The sale of batteries or fuel cells for electric vehicles, including batteries or fuel cells sold as a component of an electric bus at the time of the vehicle’s sale;

(b) The sale of or charge made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing, repairing, altering, or improving electric vehicle batteries or fuel cells;

(c) The sale of or charge made for labor and services rendered in respect to installing, constructing, repairing, or improving battery or fuel cell electric vehicle infrastructure, including hydrogen fueling stations;

(d) The sale of tangible personal property that will become a component of battery or fuel cell electric vehicle infrastructure during the course of installing, constructing, repairing, or improving battery or fuel cell electric vehicle infrastructure; and

(e) The sale of zero emissions buses.

(2) Sellers may make tax exempt sales under this section only if the buyer provides the seller with an exemption certificate in a form and manner prescribed by the department. The seller must retain a copy of the certificate for the seller’s files.

(3) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) “Battery charging station” means an electrical component assembly or cluster of component assemblies designed specifically to charge batteries within electric vehicles, which meet or exceed any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540.

(b) “Battery exchange station” means a fully automated facility that will enable an electric vehicle with a swappable battery to enter a drive lane and exchange the depleted battery with a fully charged battery through a fully automated process, which meets or exceeds any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540.

(c) “Electric vehicle infrastructure” means structures, machinery, and equipment necessary and integral to support a battery or fuel cell electric vehicle, including battery charging stations, rapid charging stations, battery exchange stations, fueling stations that provide hydrogen for fuel cell electric vehicles, green electrolytic hydrogen production facilities, and renewable hydrogen production facilities.

(d) “Green electrolytic hydrogen” means hydrogen produced through electrolysis, and does not include hydrogen manufactured using steam reforming or any other conversion technology that produces hydrogen from a fossil fuel feedstock.

(e) “Rapid charging station” means an industrial grade electrical outlet that allows for faster recharging of electric vehicle batteries through higher power levels, which meets or exceeds any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540.

(f) “Renewable hydrogen” means hydrogen produced using renewable resources both as the source for hydrogen and the source for the energy input into the production process.

(g) “Renewable resource” means (i) water; (ii) wind; (iii) solar energy; (iv) geothermal energy; (v) renewable natural gas; (vi) renewable hydrogen; (vii) wave, ocean, or tidal power; (viii) biodiesel fuel that is not derived from crops raised on land cleared from old growth or first growth forests; or (ix) biomass energy.

(h) “Zero emissions bus” means a bus that emits no exhaust gas from the onboard source of power, other than water vapor.

(4) This section expires July 1, 2025.

Findings—Intent—2022 c 292: See note following RCW 43.330.565.

Intent—Effective date—2022 c 182: See notes following RCW 70A.65.240.

Tax preference performance statement—2019 c 287 §§ 8-14: See note following RCW 82.04.4496.

Findings—Intent—2019 c 287: See note following RCW 28B.30.903.

Finding—Purpose—2009 c 459: See note following RCW 47.80.090.

Regional transportation planning organizations—Electric vehicle infrastructure: RCW 47.80.090.