5 ms·

The $7500 rebate probably helps.

by cpncrunch 3y ago

danans 3y ago
That rebate is available across the whole country, not just CA.
- jeffbee 3y ago
  California rebate is another $7500 (at most) on top of federal rebates.
  - danans 3y ago
    That $7500 is based on a pretty low (by CA standards) income threshold. That is a good thing as we should be subsidizing EVs more for lower income people (because they tend to have a higher transportation energy cost burden, and are more dependent on driving to get to work). Given the high price market segmentation of most EVs (with the Chevy Bolt standing out as an exception), I suspect that most EV buyers can't take advantage of anywhere near that level of rebate.
    - jeffbee 3y ago
      There are easy workarounds on the income phase-out though. For example I would never have qualified for the EV rebate on my PHEV Honda Clarity, so instead I leased the car, Honda got the rebate, I got the lower price, and a month later I bought out the lease.
      - danans 3y ago
        > so instead I leased the car, Honda got the rebate, I got the lower price, and a month later I bought out the lease. The Clarity is a great car! Hope you are enjoying it. The CA rebate is income limited regardless of whether it is a purchase or lease. It sounds more like you were able to negotiate a lower price with Honda, not that you actually got the rebate. Most EVs are currently in such demand that there is little ability to negotiate on price.
        jeffbee 3y ago
        That wasn't how it was explained to me. As I understood it, Honda Random American Subsidiary retained the benefit of the tax credit somehow, without (obviously) a personal income test. Whatever the case was, the overall effect was that I paid about the same price for the car as I would have paid if I had purchased it and received the EV rebate, for which I was not eligible.
        danans 3y ago
        CVRP has a function called CVRP Rebate Now (https://cleanvehiclerebate.org/en/dealer/rebate-now#rb-now-faq https://cleanvehiclerebate.org/en/dealer/rebate-now#rb-now-f...) that allows the dealer to credit the rebate as a down payment. It doesn't change the income eligibility requirements, and the purchaser/leasee has to pre-qualify (by confirming income) 30-45 days before the vehicle purchase. Without that pre-qualification, the dealer can't get the money back from the CVRP.

The $7500 rebate probably helps.

danans 3y ago

That rebate is available across the whole country, not just CA.

jeffbee 3y ago
California rebate is another $7500 (at most) on top of federal rebates.
- danans 3y ago
  That $7500 is based on a pretty low (by CA standards) income threshold. That is a good thing as we should be subsidizing EVs more for lower income people (because they tend to have a higher transportation energy cost burden, and are more dependent on driving to get to work). Given the high price market segmentation of most EVs (with the Chevy Bolt standing out as an exception), I suspect that most EV buyers can't take advantage of anywhere near that level of rebate.
  - jeffbee 3y ago
    There are easy workarounds on the income phase-out though. For example I would never have qualified for the EV rebate on my PHEV Honda Clarity, so instead I leased the car, Honda got the rebate, I got the lower price, and a month later I bought out the lease.
    - danans 3y ago
      > so instead I leased the car, Honda got the rebate, I got the lower price, and a month later I bought out the lease. The Clarity is a great car! Hope you are enjoying it. The CA rebate is income limited regardless of whether it is a purchase or lease. It sounds more like you were able to negotiate a lower price with Honda, not that you actually got the rebate. Most EVs are currently in such demand that there is little ability to negotiate on price.
      - jeffbee 3y ago
        That wasn't how it was explained to me. As I understood it, Honda Random American Subsidiary retained the benefit of the tax credit somehow, without (obviously) a personal income test. Whatever the case was, the overall effect was that I paid about the same price for the car as I would have paid if I had purchased it and received the EV rebate, for which I was not eligible.
        danans 3y ago
        CVRP has a function called CVRP Rebate Now (https://cleanvehiclerebate.org/en/dealer/rebate-now#rb-now-faq https://cleanvehiclerebate.org/en/dealer/rebate-now#rb-now-f...) that allows the dealer to credit the rebate as a down payment. It doesn't change the income eligibility requirements, and the purchaser/leasee has to pre-qualify (by confirming income) 30-45 days before the vehicle purchase. Without that pre-qualification, the dealer can't get the money back from the CVRP.