CEC Offers Affordable Electric Vehicle Clinic
Webinar helps drivers find all the incentives for a free or low-cost EV
March 4, 2021 SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Community Environmental Council (CEC) will host Affordable Electric Vehicle Clinic: How to Qualify for a Free or Low-Cost EV on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. The clinic is offered in partnership with Ecology Action, with support from Electrify America and Access Clean California.
This FREE virtual clinic is open to the public and will be presented in English with Spanish interpretation. Those interested in attending must register in advance at http://bit.ly/3bg0vlf.
While anyone interested in leasing or purchasing an EV are welcome, low- and moderate-income households (for example, less than $104,800 for a family of 4) are especially encouraged to attend since they may qualify for increased rebates and incentives that will allow them to get a very low-cost or free EV.
CEC's Energy and Climate Programs Director Michael Chiacos and CEC’s Energy and Climate Associate Jen Hernández – both EV owners and industry experts – will cover the basics of EV ownership and current rebates and incentives for new, leased, or used EVs. The clinic will cover:
Pure electric vehicles vs. plug-in hybrids and some of the 40+ EVs currently available.
Financial considerations of incentives and leasing versus buying a new or used vehicle.
Charging basics, range considerations, and long trips in an EV.
How to pair home solar with your EV for maximum savings.
How to stack incentives and purchase a new EV for the price of a Toyota Corolla, lease one for free or very low cost, or buy a used EV for as little as $5,000.
Electric vehicle ownership is already trending upward. There have been more than 803,816 EVs sold in California over the last decade. EVs are gaining broad popularity because they have a variety of benefits, including:
Low total cost of ownership: The upfront cost of EVs has rapidly declined, and fueling an EV with electricity is equivalent to paying $1.50/gallon of gasoline. EVs also require half the maintenance costs of gasoline or diesel vehicles.
More incentives and rebates than ever before: There are now three statewide incentives available for EVs, in addition to the $7,500 federal tax credit and vehicle replacement incentives for older vehicles that emit more pollution.
Increased incentives for low- to moderate-income households: For example, households making under $104,800 (for a family of 4) can qualify for $11,000 in incentives (which could pay the entire cost of a three-year EV lease) or get a $5,000 grant toward a used EV.
CEC Energy and Climate Program Assistant Jennifer Hernández recently leased an EV for $35/month, after incentives. “These programs helped me get into a green car while helping me save hundreds of dollars a month in transportation costs,” Hernández said. She went on to explain that she understands why more people do not take advantage: “Until you start to do the research and look at all the savings you are eligible for, it is not always clear just how affordable an EV can be.” Read more about her experience at https://bit.ly/2OpIWGI.
Driving electric and driving less are the single largest things most individuals can do to protect their communities from air pollution and climate change. CEC’s Affordable Electric Vehicle Clinic provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the affordability of electric vehicles – and help meet regional and state climate goals.
“CEC is committed to helping the Central Coast meet California’s goal of five million zero-emission vehicles on the roads by 2030 and fulfilling Governor Newsom’s executive order for 100% zero-emission car sales by 2035,” said CEC Director of Climate and Energy Programs Michael Chiacos. “Transitioning to more efficient electric vehicles and using renewable energy to charge these vehicles are central components of CEC’s plan to build Zero Carbon Communities that will help slow the climate crisis.”
To support California’s low-carbon transportation equity goals, CEC and Ecology Action are also offering FREE purchase guidance to help qualifying drivers learn about EVs and better understand the incentive programs. Interested individuals can visit ElectricDrive805.org/Free-EV to learn more.
“By helping low- and moderate-income households find all of the state incentives and rebates that they are eligible for, we can help more drivers move forward with applications, save money, and switch to an electric vehicle that fits their needs,” said Ecology Action Vice President Community Programs Kirsten Liske. Providing EV purchase guidance is part of a long-term effort to make electric vehicle options more accessible to lower-income families and communities of color.
Transportation is responsible for more than half of all of California’s carbon pollution, 80 percent of smog-forming pollution and 95 percent of toxic diesel emissions. A rapid and equitable transition to EVs is critical to protect communities from pollution and worsening climate change impacts. To adequately respond to the climate crisis and California’s 2020 wildfires, Governor Newsom set new targets that require the sale of all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035 and additional measures to eliminate harmful emissions from the transportation sector.