- California residents could be eligible for incentives of up to $14,000 for electric vehicles and charging equipment
- Some incentives are contingent on scrapping an old vehicle
- The state wants all new cars sold there to have charging ports by 2035.
California is introducing a new EV incentive program for giving up to 14,000 USD for low-income shoppers.
First discovered by Car liveClean driving support program (DCAP) for California residents with income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level and have never participated in other promotional programs before. Like other programs, DCAP is overseen by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the regulatory agency also responsible for California’s emissions standards.
Hyundai Kona 2024 electric car
DCAP offers a maximum purchase or lease incentive of $12,000 to shoppers who live in disadvantaged communities and also plan to shop. scrap an old car when trading, plus a $2,000 fee incentive. However, shoppers must sign up for the program before purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle.
Those who don’t live in disadvantaged communities are eligible for a $10,000 car purchase incentive, while those who don’t scrap an old vehicle can get up to $7,500. However, the $2,000 premium offer remains the same in both cases.
Volkswagen ID.4 2025
California has worked to Encourage EV rotation for lower income drivers since last year, when it expanded Clean Car 4 All Programs statewide to replace the previous Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP). Clean Cars 4 All combines incentives for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles as well as electric vehicles, but includes more restrictive limits than the DCAP program, according to CarsDirect.
As of 2023, one of four new vehicles in California is a EV or plug-in hybrid. That puts California well ahead of other states, but still means the state has a long way to go to reach its goal of creating all new vehicles have charging ports by 2035. Incentives aimed at low-income drivers will likely be part of the solution, and incentives aimed at so-called “Super gasoline user“, people burn excessive amounts of fuel.
