California's Got A New $14,000 Incentive On Buying EVs: See If You Qualify

Key Takeaways

California’s latest incentive gives some residents $14,000 when they purchase a new or used low or zero emissions vehicle.
The program is only open to those with an income that is at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
They must also be a first-time applicant in order to qualify.

California has long offered a variety of incentives designed to get people to switch from gas to electric vehicles. These incentives come in the form of cash, but also in the form of access to HOV lanes without having multiple people along for the ride. Anyone who has ever driven in California during rush hour knows that might be more valuable than the cash.

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The latest California incentive is designed to help low-income shoppers. There are an increasing number of great electric cars on the market, but they aren’t cheap. This is something every automaker is working to change, but it’s not happening overnight. The upcoming Kia EV3 promises to be more affordable, as does the Rivian R2, but neither is something you can buy right now. The solution in California is an incentive for low-income buyers of $14,000.

This incentive comes through the state’s Driving Clean Assistance Program (DCAP), which allows the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to offer consumers a $14,000 incentive on new or used clean vehicles. It basically expands the availability of the Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) program, which already offers funds to help low-income Californians with their car purchases.

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There are, of course, plenty of rules in order to qualify. To get the full amount, residents have to apply before they lease or buy the vehicle. They also have to be a first-time participant, so if they’ve taken advantage of any other CARB light-duty incentive program, then they can’t use this one.

The last piece of the qualification puzzle is the income limit. Those who apply must have an income that is at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, which caps income at $93,600 for a family of four.

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The exact amount you receive depends on where you live. Those in a disadvantaged community get $12,000 toward the purchase of a clean vehicle along with $2,000 in charging credits. Those not in a disadvantaged community see the purchase credit drop to $10,000 but get the same charging credit. If you are a California resident and meet those requirements, then now may be the perfect time to buy that EV you’ve been eyeing.