Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and other electric utilities recently teamed up with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to offer the California Clean Fuel Reward, a point-of-sale price reduction of up to US$1500 off on the purchase or lease of any eligible, new electric vehicle (EV). Consumers can receive this instant price reduction at any participating automotive retailer.
"The goal of the program is to accelerate the number of EVs on California's roads and highways," said CARB Vice Chair Sandy Berg. "The instant point-of-sale price reduction of up to US$1500 will help make these ultra-clean cars more affordable, especially for low-income families or those living in disadvantaged communities."
The California Clean Fuel Reward is available to everyone in California and taking advantage of the reward is easy. When buying or leasing an EV at an enrolled retailer in California, the retailer will simply include the reward in the transaction at the point of sale. The customer does not need to do any paperwork after the sale to receive the reward.
The California Clean Fuel Reward can be combined with existing post-sale federal, state, and local incentives, such as the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, Clean Cars 4 All, and the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program to potentially help customers save more than US$10,000 on their EV purchase.
Additionally, the PG&E's EV Savings Calculator helps customers who are considering purchasing or leasing an EV to compare cars and evaluate total cost of ownership of an EV compared to gas-powered cars. The tool provides customers with a personalized recommendation that includes estimated costs, savings, and rebates or incentives of up to approximately US$10,000.
Lists of enrolled retailers and eligible battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles are on cleanfuelreward.com, which will be continually updated as new retailers and EV models are added. More than 20 cars from 15 manufacturers are eligible for the reward, including 2021 models eligible to receive the full US$1500.
The California Clean Fuel Reward is funded by electric utilities participating in the CARB's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program. From its beginning in 2011, the LCFS has helped cleaner fuels displace more than 16 billion gallons of liquid petroleum fuels. The program allows producers of clean fuels, such as electric utilities, to generate credits they can sell to producers with more carbon-intense products. Sales of those credits fund programs such as the California Clean Fuel Reward program. Southern California Edison (SCE) is administering the program on behalf of, and in collaboration with, all participating utilities.
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