Electric Vehicle Incentives

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Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) are zero-emission vehicles that reduce air pollution in our community and offer significant savings on fuel and maintenance costs. Plug-in hybrid vehicles also reduce air pollution and offer cost savings, though usually at a lower rate than all-electric vehicles. You can also save big with rebates, incentives, and tax credits when you buy an EV or a plug-in hybrid.

To find existing Electric Vehicle Charging Stations near you, input your address or zip code into this Department of Energy tool.

Rebates and Tax Credits

The California Driving Clean Assistance Program (DCAP) provides incentives to assist with the purchase or lease of new or used clean air vehicles. DCAP offers up to $14,000 for income-eligible Californians, with up to an additional $2,000 for charging equipment or credits.

MCE’s instant rebate offers up to $3,500 to income qualified residents who purchase a new EV or plug in hybrid and an additional $2,000 for a used one. MCE's rebate program also includes customer support to help residents take advantage of other available rebates and tax credits.
The Clean Cars for All program offers up to $12,000 to income-qualified California residents living in specific zip codes who own vehicle with a model year of 2007 or older to retire their car and purchase an electric vehicle. Additional benefits of the program may include:
- Funding for an EV charger, or a public charging card
- Up to $5,000 towards adaptive equipment to support accessibility needs
To check to see if you are eligible for the program or apply visit the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's website.
PG&E's Residential Charging Solutions program offers eligible customers a rebate on a variety of electric vehicle charging equipment. Those who are approved may qualify for a rebate covering up to 100% of the equipment’s purchasing price.
The Vehicle Buy Back Program offers $2,000 to Bay Area residents who turn in a working car with a model year of 2000 or older. After turning in your car, consider replacing it with an e-bike or an EV!

Automated Charging and Electricity Rates for EV Households

MCE's Sync App is a great way to automate your EV charging at home to use the least expensive and cleanest energy possible. Residents can earn a $50 sign-up bonus and up to $10 per month by charging during low-carbon events. In addition, MCE Sync automatically charges your EV during the cheapest off-peak hours, which saves you money each time you charge!

In addition, MCE offers a special rate for households who own or lease electric vehicles.

PG&E also offers an EV rate for residents and businesses.

Electric Bicycle Rebate Program

E-bikes are a great way to save money on vehicle fuel, avoid sitting in traffic, and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions-- all while having fun! Contra Costa County offers a $150-300 cash rebate to Walnut Creek residents who purchase a new e-bike. $150 rebates are available for all residents, and $300 rebates are available for income-qualified residents.

Check out 511 Contra Costa's website to learn more about e-bikes and the Contra Costa rebate program.

Additional Resources

The nonprofit collaboration Ride and Drive Clean has resources to help prospective buyers of EVs and e-bikes. They also periodically offer exclusive discounts on specific EVs, which can be combined with the other incentives listed above.

The California Air Resources Board has developed a searchable list of available EV rebates and incentives.

The U.S. Department of Energy's website on fuel efficiency has a useful calculator that compares vehicles with specific makes and models side by side, so that you can see the mileage, battery range, and resulting fuel cost savings of specific EVs and plug-in hybrids compared to gasoline cars. You can also use the calculator to compare the battery capacities and costs of specific EVs or plug-in hybrids.

The nonprofit Plug In America has a Used Electric Car Buyers’ Guide to help those interested in purchasing a used EV learn more about different vehicle models, batteries, warranties, and other topics to consider.

PG&E's EV Savings Calculator calculates the financial savings from buying a new electric car compared to an equivalent gas or diesel car.
PG&E's website also has additional EV resources for current owners and prospective buyers of electric vehicles, including information on installing an EV charger.

EV Charging Stations

There are many programs offering funding to cover the installation costs and equipment costs for EV charging stations, which can help businesses save money, eliminate tailpipe emissions, and simplify vehicle maintenance. These programs can often be combined for deeper cost savings at workplaces, multi-family homes, destination sites, and more.

MCE provides rebates for EV charging stations that can be combined with other programs to decrease the cost of EV infrastructure. Rebates are available for sites that use either Level 1 and Level 2 chargers. Higher rebate amounts are available if charging stations receive 100% renewable energy through MCE's Deep Green. MCE's program also includes technical assistance and educational materials for building occupants.
Communities in Charge provides an incentive of up to $8,500 for Level 2 charging stations that a business installs, and an additional $3,500 for projects in Tribal communities. The program is statewide and is funded by the California Energy Commission.

PG&E’s EV Fleet Program helps businesses and organizations easily and cost-effectively install EV charging stations. The program provides incentives and rebates and assistance with site design and permitting, construction and activation, and maintenance and upgrades.

The federal government offers a tax credit for 30% of the equipment cost (up to $100,000) to qualifying businesses who install EV chargers. This offering is available until June 30th, 2026.

The state of California has developed a comprehensive Funding Finder Tool for Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty EVs and EV charging infrastructure.