Clean cars are a growing trend in California. Each month, California moves closer towards its goal of five million ZEVs by 2030 – with more than 367,000 on the road as of February 2018.
This trend is happening as more drivers, like Jimmy Chang, become aware of the benefits clean vehicles bring to the environment and to their pocketbooks, and learn about the programs available to make cleaner vehicles more to accessible to all Californians.
“I’m able to reduce emissions and save some money by driving this car,” said Jimmy Chang, a Rosemead resident who now drives a sporty electric Fiat 500e. “I used to spend about $100 to $200 in gas, but now maybe I spend $20-$30 in electricity every month.”
Jimmy qualified for the State’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (CVRP), which offered him a $4,000 rebate to lease his zero-emission vehicle. CVRP, primarily supported by Cap-and-Trade dollars, promotes clean vehicle adoption by offering rebates of up to $7,000 for the purchase or lease of new clean cars including electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles. This statewide program is available on a first-come, first-served basis for new eligible clean cars.
“I would definitely recommend this program to other people,” Jimmy added.
As of July 2017, CVRP had issued more than $448 million in rebates for more than 205,000 vehicles. Eligible California residents follow a simple process to apply for a CVRP rebate after purchasing or leasing an eligible vehicle. Individuals who live in communities most impacted by air pollution, lower-income consumers (with household incomes of less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty level) are eligible for a higher rebate amount.
New in 2018, Rebate Now makes CVRP even better! This pre-approved rebate program makes it easier and faster for California residents to lease or purchase electric vehicles by providing instant rebates at the point-of-sale or lease. The Rebate Now pilot program is currently available to San Diego County car shoppers only, who will be able to apply online and use Rebate Now at participating dealerships with statewide expansion anticipated in the future.