Saratoga, California — California will offer instant point-of-sale rebates to residents buying or leasing their first zero-emission vehicle this summer, after Governor Gavin Newsom announced that 13 automakers agreed to match a $135 million state investment created under a bill signed earlier this month.
The MyFirstEV program provides $3,500 off a new electric vehicle with a sticker price up to $50,000, or $1,750 off a used model purchased through manufacturers' pre-owned programs. Combined with the state contribution, the participating automakers' matching funds total $270 million in consumer savings. The California Air Resources Board will oversee the program, with details on timing and access expected next month.
The rebate is one piece of a broader $600 million clean-transportation package funded through Cap-and-Invest revenue and smog-abatement fees. The full package also directs money to the Community Air Protection Program, the Clean Cars 4 All initiative for lower-income drivers, clean off-road equipment vouchers, and the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project.
> "The future should be built in America," Governor Gavin Newsom said, framing the program as a response to the federal government's repeal of the national electric-vehicle tax credit.