As federal policies evolve, state-level support is critical to sustain momentum in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, particularly in California, which leads the EV market. This brief explores a renewed point-of-sale rebate for California households that do not already own an EV – an “EV On-Ramp” Rebate.
The analysis provides a potential policy framework, highlighting key similarities and differences from California’s former Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP). This brief finds that millions of EV buyers could be supported by a renewed rebate and estimates the total cost for rebates sizes ranging from $1,000 to $7,500, as well as the impact of a program capped at $500 million per year.
Surveys show that once people drive EVs, they tend to stick with them: most EV owners report that they are likely to buy another EV, and experience with EVs tends to reduce concerns like range and charging anxiety. Thus, incentives that target buyers that do not already have an EV at home can have a greater bang for the buck and provide a pathway to follow-on EV purchases in the future.
Atlas thanks EVs for All America for their support of this work.
