(The Center Square) – Vermont has given 3,534 electric vehicle rebates since 2019 across four programs.
In 2012, the state had 180 registered electric vehicles. Through July, residents have registered 10,022, 55% of which are all-electric vehicles powered by a battery and 45% of which are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that can run on electricity and gasoline.
The Vermont Legislature has authorized four vehicle incentive programs for income-qualified Vermonters. The plug-in electric vehicle incentive program, enacted in 2019, provides up to $5,000 to eligible Vermonters with higher incentive amounts for lower-income households toward buying a new electric vehicle.
State incentives are available for new vehicle purchases or leases of eligible EVs with a base manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $50,000 or less.
The program has provided 2,294 incentives, 1,526 all-electric vehicles, and 768 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. It has $17.1 million authorized in total to date with $8.4 million remaining from fiscal year 2023.
A 2019 program called MileageSmart provides up to $5,000 or 25% toward buying a used vehicle that gets 40 miles per gallon or more. The program provides point-of-sale financial assistance through Vermont’s Community Action Agencies to income-eligible Vermonters.
The program has issued 677 incentives, 367 hybrid electric vehicles, 172 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and 138 all-electric vehicles. It has $5.2 million authorized in total to date and $1.7 million remaining from fiscal year 2023.
A Replace Your Ride program aims to retire vehicles 10-plus years old with an internal combustion engine. Launched in September of 2022, it provides up to $5,000 for income-eligible Vermonters who retire a high-polluting vehicle for an electric vehicle, bike, e-bike, electric motorcycle, or shared mobility services.
The program issued 47 incentives, 25 for new plug-in electric vehicles, 20 for used plug-in electric vehicles, and five for clean mobility cards. The program has $3.8 million authorized in total to date with $3 million remaining from fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
The fourth program, launched in July 2022, provides a prepaid voucher of up to $800 to purchase an electric bicycle, e-cargo bike, or adaptive e-bike, with incentives available only for households with lower incomes.
In round one, Vermont issued 279 incentives, with 68% benefitting Vermonters at the lowest income levels. In round two, 237 vouchers were issued to households with lower incomes.
Only $700 remains after two rounds of funding totaling $255,000. The average voucher issued totaled $533.
Federal data as of 2022 says Vermont has 501,500 gasoline vehicles, 40,000 E85 vehicles, 17,800 hybrids, 6,400 biodiesel, and 4,200 plug-in electric vehicles.
The number of electric vehicles in the state increased by 2,520 vehicles or 34% over the past year, according to Drive Electric Vermont.
There are over 95 unique models of plug-in cars registered in the state. The Nissan LEAF was the most popular all-electric model with 1,025 total registrations. Top sellers in the second quarter included the Toyota RAV4 Prime (103 added registrations), the Tesla Model Y (77), the Jeep Wrangler 4xe (48), the VW ID.4 (39), and the Nissan LEAF (38).
There are now 360 locations with public charging for electric vehicles across the state.
