California’s EV Push Goes Beyond Giving Buyers $3,500

Nearly 12,000 buyers have used the state’s new rebates. California is also updating its projections for growth in the charging network.

Electrify America Flagship Indoor Charging Station In San Francisco, California

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Oct 19, at 7:15am ET

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Nearly 12,000 first-time buyers have used California’s rebates of up to $3,500 for eligible EVs.
California has roughly 47% of the public and shared charging ports it projects it will need by 2030.
The state is funding fast chargers while prioritizing charging access near homes and apartment buildings.

Taking $3,500 off an electric car helps get someone into the showroom. But it doesn’t put people at ease regarding where they will charge it.

California wants to address both. The state revealed that nearly 12,000 first-time buyers have used its MyFirstEV rebate program since August, according to an October 16 state announcement. Alongside that update, the California Energy Commission released new projections for the charging network needed to support millions more plug-in vehicles.

MyFirstEV provides an immediate discount for participating manufacturers. It gives buyers $3,500 toward eligible new vehicles with an MSRP of up to $50,000, or $1,750 toward eligible used plug-in vehicles costing up to $25,000 through manufacturers’ pre-owned programs. Automakers match the state’s $135.5 million contribution, creating a funding pool of over $270 million.

That money doesn’t last indefinitely, though. Tesla, for instance, exhausted its allocation in just five days. The nearly 12,000 transactions clearly show uptake, though they can’t say how many buyers would have gone electric without assistance.

Electrify America Flagship Indoor Charging Station In San Francisco, California

Electrify America flagship indoor charging station in San Francisco

California is still well ahead of the national average. Pure electric vehicles made up 16.3% of new-car sales in Q3, compared with 6.4% nationwide. Including plug-in hybrids and hydrogen vehicles, the share actually reached 19.1%.

Keeping those vehicles charged is another topic altogether. The commission now projects California will need 478,000 public charging ports to support an expected 6.8 million EVs in 2030. Its forecast accounts for changes in vehicle range, battery capacity, fast-charging availability, and home charging.

As of June 30, California had 224,438 public and limited-access chargers, roughly 47% of that projected requirement. This includes about 23,000 fast chargers, but the figures exclude an estimated 1.2 million home chargers.

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These “Limited-access” chargers serve a particular group of drivers rather than everyone. Think of chargers in an apartment building that’s for residents only or a workplace parking lot reserved for employees. They help those drivers charge where they already park, but someone passing through town generally can’t use them.

Funding supports this expansion, too. California recently offered at least $28 million in incentives for public fast chargers, covering up to 100% of eligible costs, capped at $100,000 per port.

But fast chargers aren’t the only way. New York’s plan for 600 additional curbside charging points offers another approach: placing chargers where people already leave their cars, including for residents without private driveways. California says it considers charging near homes a priority.