Perks Of Driving An Ev
- Discounted Utility Rates – PG& E offers an EV rate for home charging. Find the best EV rate for you here.
- HOV Carpool Benefits – You can drive your qualifying electric car in the carpool lane anytime with a Clean Air Vehicle Sticker.
- Fuel Savings – Driving an electric car could save you money every time you travel. Compared to traditional gas cars, EVs are cheaper to run and far more efficient to drive. Check for public charging using apps or online maps, such as Plugshare.com.
- Cheaper to Maintain – While the price of an EV may be similar to most comparable gas-powered vehicles, the cost of running one is significantly cheaper, particularly over the full lifetime of the vehicle. EVs are designed to be as efficient as possible, which means you’ll rarely have to have your EV serviced and the running and repair costs are minimal. This electric car overview goes into depth on the various benefits for the different electric car types.
- Better for the Environment – Fully electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions making them greener, cleaner, and better for the environment than gas or diesel cars. Less emissions mean reduced greenhouse gasses, enabling San Francisco to move towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
The California Ev Rebate Overview
Since 2010, the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project has helped get over 350,000 clean vehicles on the road in California.
The rebate for most Californians for the purchase or lease of an electric vehicle can be up to $4,500 depending on the vehicle — and up to $7,000 for low income residents.
A good rule of thumb for people thinking of purchasing an EV:
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$4,500 for fuel cell electric vehicles , $2,000 for battery electric vehicles, $1,000 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles , and $750 for zero emission motorcycles.
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For low to moderate-low-income to moderate-income buyers: $7,000 for FCEVs, $4,500 for EVs, $3,500 for PHEVs.
You can search for the vehicle and then apply for the rebate.
Did you know you might also qualify a $7,500 federal tax credit for new all-electric vehicles?
Sign up for our checklist to learn more about the federal tax credit and other ways you could save on an EV.
Currently, there are many EV rebate funds available. And EV lease deals in California can be very affordable many for $5 to $10/day.
So tell your family and friends in California – more people should be driving EVs!
Utility Transportation Electrification Cost Recovery Regulations
The California Public Utilities Commission must approve or modify utility transportation electrification programs, including those that deploy electric vehicle charging stations, through a reasonable cost recovery mechanism that does not unfairly compete with nonutility enterprises. At least 35% of the investments must be in underserved communities.
Utilities must file a new tariff to design and deploy all electrical distribution infrastructure on the utility side of the customer meter, for all customers installing a separately metered, to be recovered as other distribution infrastructure authorized on an ongoing basis in the utilitys general rate case of EV charging station.
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How To Tinker With Your Tax Bill
Consumers who want to buy an electric vehicle and think their tax bills will be too small to get the full $7,500 can take steps to boost their tax liability and therefore maximize the credit’s value.
For example, investors can consider converting a pretax retirement account to a Roth, a type of after-tax account they’d owe income tax on that conversion. Investors can also consider selling winning stocks or other assets, thereby incurring capital gains tax.
“If you can harvest some gains or have additional income you can pull into 2022, maybe you consider that,” Herron said.
Workers can also adjust the tax withholding on their paychecks, opting to withhold less and thereby increasing the taxes they owe at tax time. While doing so won’t affect your overall tax liability, it can help you keep more money in your paycheck during the year, with the aim of using the vehicle tax credit to offset the bigger tax-time bill.
However, Herron doesn’t recommend this route due to potential unknowns. For example, an unexpected bonus during the year might mean a larger-than-expected tax bill, depending on the withholding adjustment.
+ Ev Tax Credit Extending The Electric Clean Vehicle Rebate For New And Used Cars

Under the Inflation Reduction Act , the EV Tax Credit was extended for several more years. It will also be expanded to cover both new and used cars.
The original EV tax credit, known as the plug-in electric vehicle credit, has been rebranded to the Clean Vehicle Credit under the IRA bill and covers battery/fuel-cell and hydrogen vehicles. It will be available till 2032.
Additional qualification criteria was also added to promote domestic production of EV vehicles and batteries. This will be phased in over the next 5 to 8 years as discussed in the next section.
The maximum amount of the extended EV tax credit is $7,500 credit for new vehicles. A new $4,000 or 30% of purchase price credit was added for used vehicles.
There is a cap on the price of eligible vehicles at $55,000 for new cars and $80,000 for new trucks, vans and SUVs. These limits mean high-end electric vehicles would likely not qualify for this credit. Used EVs will have a $25,000 limit.
The credit will only be available for qualifying EV cars purchased in 2023 and beyond.
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What If You Qualify For Both The Personal And Business Electric Vehicle Credits
You could qualify for the electric vehicle tax credit using either the clean vehicle credit or the commercial clean vehicle credit. Note the word either. Its either one or the other, not both.
Ordinarily, if youre able to nd an electric vehicle that qualies for the full $7,500 personal clean vehicle credit and you come within the income limits, you should claim the personal credit. The commercial clean vehicle credit can never be larger than the personal credit , but it can be smaller.
The commercial clean vehicle credit is equal to the lesser of:
- 15 percent of the vehicles basis , or
- The incremental cost of the vehicle .
- The maximum credit is $7,500the same as the personal credit.
For example, if you purchase an $80,000 fully electric van and use it 25 percent for business, your depreciable basis is $20,000. Your maximum commercial clean vehicle credit is $6,000 .
But if you claim the personal clean vehicle credit, youll get $7,500which you need to allocate, claiming 25 percent as a business credit and 75 percent as personal credit.
Key Point: With no taxable income, you would get zero benet from the non-refundable personal tax credit. But you can carry the non-refundable business credit back one year and forward until used for up to 20 years.
How Do I Claim My California Clean Fuel Reward Tesla
You can reduce the price of your EV purchase by using the California Clean Fuel Reward amount. After a sale, you will be able to submit a reward claim online. Make an accurate claim and receive reimbursement as soon as possible. The California Clean Fuel Reward will be reduced to zero for the next year, September 1, 2022.
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Ev Rebate In California Key Points
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Rebates come in the form of a check, and are available for purchases or leases.
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You can apply within 18 months of the vehicle purchase or lease date.
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You can also get pre-approved for a rebate.
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Many buyers join a waiting list for months at a time.
The vehicle needs to be registered as new in California.
It cant be purchased, leased, or delivered out of state.
The lease term needs to be for at least 30 months.
It can come as cash where you bought it or as a check mailed to you up to eighteen months afterwards.
The odometer reading must be below 7,500 miles at the time of purchase or lease.
Consumers are limited to one EV rebate in a lifetime.
For vehicles purchased or leased before December 2nd, 2019 you can receive $500 more for vehicles and $150 more for motorcycles.
If the price tag of the vehicle is more than $60,000 wont qualify.
Higher income consumers in general are not eligible for the rebate.
This income cap applies to all eligible vehicle types other than fuel-cell EVs.
It is currently $150,000 for single filers, $204,000 for headofhousehold filers and $300,000 for joint filers.
If your income is higher than this, you can still qualify for a Clean Air Vehicle sticker. Read more below.
Clean Vehicle Rebate Program
Get up to $7,000 to purchase or lease a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle , battery electric vehicle , or a fuel cell electric vehicle . CVRP offers vehicle rebates on a first-come, first-served basis and helps get the cleanest vehicles on the road in California by providing consumer rebates to reduce the initial cost of advanced technologies. Rebates are available to California residents that meet income requirements and purchase or lease an eligible vehicle.
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When Will The Ev Credit Extension Be Available
With the bill now passed, the details and criteria around the credit will need to be finalized by the Department of Transportation, which the Secretary being the final approver.
The guidelines will then need to be reviewed and implemented by EV manufacturers and dealers, including determining which vehicles are eligible given the new focus on domestic assembly and manufacturing in the bill.
The bill specifically states that final guidelines around this EV credit have to be issued by December 31, 2022. This will mean that the credit wont be available till 2023 and beyond.
So dont rush out and buy your EV in the near term based solely on getting this credit. It is also likely that no near term changes will result at manufacturers and dealers as a result of this bill, since final guidelines wont be in place until next year.
Electric Vehicle Rebate Program
The California Air Resources Board offers point-of-sale rebates of up to $750 for the purchase or lease of a new all-electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle through the Clean Fuel Reward Program. Eligible EVs must have a minimum battery capacity of 5 kilowatt-hours and be purchased from participating retailers. Eligible customers must reside in California and register the EV in California. For more information, including vehicle eligibility requirements, see the Clean Fuel Reward website.
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How Electric Vehicle Tax Credits Work In The Us
The benefits will not last forever, but to further EV adoption in the US, the federal government and its respective state entities offer several perks to consumers looking to go all-electric. With the newly signed Inflation Reduction Act, we know federal tax credits for electric vehicles are extended for another decade, but state credits and rebates move at an entirely different pace.
That being said, there are plenty of options in a majority of states that you can and should take advantage now. Its important to understand how these incentives or exemptions vary from the more all-encompassing credits at the federal level.
Natural Gas Rate Reduction

Southern California Gas Company offers natural gas at discounted rates to customers fueling natural gas vehicles . G-NGVR, Natural Gas Service for Home Fueling of Motor Vehicles, is available to residential customers G-NGV, Natural Gas Service for Motor Vehicles, is available to commercial customers. For more information, see the SoCalGas NGV Incentives and Grants website.
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What Is The Electric Vehicle Tax Credit
The EV tax credit is a federal incentive designed to encourage people to purchase EVs. Residents who meet the income requirementsand who buy a vehicle that satisfies the price, battery, and assembly restrictionsare eligible to receive up to $7,500 from the government in the form of a tax credit.
This incentive has been around in various guises for years, as politicians have scrambled to tackle pollution and promote the use of cleaner energy. Its latest version, signed into law with the Inflation Reduction Act, carries some important changes that will begin kicking in from the start of 2023 until the end of 2032.
Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit
You may have heard about the tax benefits of installing solar panels on your home. Most taxpayers can already benefit from installing solar via the Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit.
As a tax-planning financial planner, I was excited to see that President Biden’s new law extends this tax credit through 2034. Furthermore, the tax credit for installing solar has jumped from 26% to 30% for eligible solar panels placed into service from this year through 2032.
While there may be a limit to how many solar panels you can squeeze onto your roof, there is no cap on the benefits of the Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit. So, if you were to be quoted $30,000 to install solar panels on your home, you could receive a $9,000 tax credit.
Depending on where you live and the efficiency of your solar panels, many solar panel systems will pay for themselves, via energy savings, in 6-8 years. Your installer can give you a better estimate of this based on your local utility cost, usage, and the cost of your solar panel system.
If you want to further maximize your tax credits, you can also get a tax credit for storage batteries, solar water heaters, and residential fuel cells.
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How Do I Claim An Ev Rebate In California
There are a few different ways that you can claim an EV rebate in California. The most common way is to apply for the rebate through your local utility company. You will need to provide proof of purchase or lease of an eligible EV, as well as proof of residency in California. You may also be required to provide proof of income.
As part of the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project , a rebate program for new vehicles began in 2010. Since the programs inception, it has distributed over 402,000 rebates to consumers who purchased plug-in, electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. The state may put you on a waiting list if you are eligible for the rebate, but you can still apply. There are numerous rebates available for fuel-cell EV models and battery-powered EV models, ranging from $7,000 to $4,500. When you sell or lease a vehicle, the rebates are delivered as cash or as a check a year or two after the purchase. General Motors recently announced that by 2035, the company would only be selling zero-emission vehicles. Electric vehicles are expected to make up the vast majority of new vehicle sales in 2050, but gasoline-powered vehicles will still account for two-thirds of all vehicles on the road. If you purchase an electric vehicle in California, you are not required to pay any taxes on it. Single filers with incomes of more than $150,000, household heads with incomes of more than $204,000, and joint filers with incomes of more than $300,000 are ineligible for the rebates.
Electric Vehicle Tax Credits Available In Mississippi
- All-Electric Vehicle and EV Charging Station Rebate SPPD
- Southern Public Power District offers residential customers a $4,000 rebate for the purchase of a new EV. Rebates are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, including eligible EV charging stations and how to apply, see the SPPD Incentive Programs website.
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Electric Vehicle Charging Station Incentive Program Support
The California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project , funded by the California Energy Commission, provides guidance and funding for property owners to develop and implement EV charging station incentive programs that help meet regional needs for Level 2 and direct current fast charging stations. Level 2 EV charging stations must be ENERGY STAR certified. CALeVIP evaluates proposed EV charging station incentive programs and solicits input from stakeholders to guide the development and implementation of the programs. CALeVIP also provides the incentive funding for each program. For more information, see the CALeVIP website.
Voluntary Vehicle Retirement And Replacement Incentives
Through the California Bureau of Automotive Repair’s Consumer Assistance Program , the owner of a personal motor vehicle may receive $1,000 to retire the vehicle early from operation and purchase a replacement vehicle that meets emission fuel economy and model year requirements. Applicants must provide proof of a failed smog test and may retire up to two vehicles annually. Low-income eligible applicants may receive $1,500 to retire the vehicle and must provide proof of a completed smog test, pass or fail. An eligible vehicle must be registered in the state without substantial lapse for at least two years prior to retirement. The owner must retire the vehicle at a dismantler under contract with the Bureau. The Bureau also offers financial assistance of up to $1,200 toward emissions-related repairs for vehicles remaining in service that cannot pass the biennial smog check inspection. For more information, additional eligibility requirements, eligible replacement vehicles, and application materials, see the CAP website.
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How To Find Ev Incentives In Ca For Your Zip Code
Beyond the statewide EV incentives, you might be able to find some local or utility EV incentives as well. These can include more rebates such as:
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Customers of Southern California Edison , the main electricity supply company for most of Southern California, can apply for up to a $1000 rebate with the Clean Fuel Reward Program if they purchase or lease an EV.
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Through the Peninsula Clean Energy DriveForward Electric Program income-qualifying San Mateo County residents could be eligible for an inventive of up to $4,000 for purchasing a used electric vehicle.
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There is also a $1,000 additional discount at select dealerships if you live in San Mateo County.
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Discounted tolls, special loans, low-cost home charging rates, etc.
Simply enter your zip code here: