Used EV Rebate Program Overview

Peninsula Clean Energy is offering $2,000 toward the purchase of a used plug-in hybrid or fully-electric vehicle for income-qualifying residents of San Mateo County or the City of Los Banos. Make the move to electric driving today! 

How it works

You can submit your rebate request in one of two ways: 

Purchase your EV at a participating dealer 

  • Receive an instant rebate at the time of purchase
  • The dealer will submit all documents for you

Purchase your EV from any dealer or retailer* and apply afterwards for rebate 

  • Complete this Reimbursement Form within 90 days of purchase
  • If approved, receive your rebate by mail in approximately 4-5 weeks 

* Private party purchases are NOT eligible

Eligibility

In order to be eligible, you must meet ALL criteria below:

  • Be a resident of either San Mateo County or City of Los Banos
  • Not received a Peninsula Clean Energy Used EV rebate in your household in the past 3 years
  • Purchase a Used plug-in hybrid or fully electric EV, at least two years old
  • Meet income-qualifying criteria from either Option 1 or Option 2 below:
    • Option 1: Modified gross adjusted income (AGI) cannot exceed
      • $150,000 for married filing jointly or a surviving spouse
      • $112,500 for heads of households
      • $75,000 for all other tax filers
      • NOTE: If you choose this option, you must provide a qualifying document, for example your most recent 1040. Alternatively, you may submit the last three months of pay stubs. A 1099 is NOT eligible.
    • Option 2: Participant of an eligible program
      • Clean Cars for All
      • Clean Vehicle Assistance Program
      • Driving Clean Assistance Program
      • Clipper START
      • Residency in Affordable Housing, Public Housing, or Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
      • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
      • CalFresh/SNAP (Food Stamps)
      • Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
      • CalWORKs (TANF) or Tribal TAN
      • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
      • Free or Reduced National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
      • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance Head Start Income Eligible (Tribal Only)

Please refer to the program Terms & Conditions prior to application.

Talk to an EV advisor

Talk to our independent EV advisor for help with any of the following questions:

  • Am I eligible for Peninsula Clean Energy’s rebate?
  • How can I apply for other programs to make sure I get the maximum available?
  • I am unfamiliar with electric vehicles, could someone walk me through them?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Questions about Peninsula Clean Energy’s Used EV Incentive?

Only residents of San Mateo County and Los Banos who meet our income qualifications and have not received an EV rebate from us with the last three years are eligible.

To qualify for incentives, the EV must be a used plug-in hybrid EV or fully electric EV that is:

  • 2 model years old or older (e.g. If you buy your car in 2024, the model year must be 2022 or older)
  • Purchased at a dealership or online retailer (e.g., Carvana, CarMax, etc.)
  • Private party sales DO NOT qualify (e.g. Craislist, eBay, etc)

No, you do not need to apply before your purchase. However, please make sure you are eligible and your purchase is for an eligible vehicle before completing your purchase, either at a participating dealership for a point-of-sale rebate or through a non-participating dealership for a post-sale rebate. Peninsula Clean Energy will not provide rebates for ineligible purchases. Customers who have made ineligible purchases at a dealership will be subject to repayment. Please contact our EV Advisors if you have any questions!

  • You can purchase a vehicle at any price. We do not have any maximum purchase price as of January 1, 2024.
  • The IRS credit requires vehicles to be under $25,000. If you purchase an eligible vehicle at or below $25,000, you can combine the IRS credit with the Peninsula Clean Energy rebate.

There are no mileage requirements for plug-in hybrid vehicles as of January 1, 2024.

It depends on the last time you applied for Peninsula Clean Energy’s Used EV rebate program. A resident may apply for our rebate once every 3 years.

Can I combine Peninsula Clean Energy’s incentive with other EV incentive programs?

You can redeem your incentive two ways: 1) At the time of purchase through a participating dealership, or 2) as a post-purchase rebate check mailed to you (if purchased at a non-participating retailer).

Yes. If you purchase your vehicle at one of the participating dealerships, you will receive your incentive at the time of purchase. If you purchase your EV at any other dealership or online retailer (e.g., Carvana), you’ll need to submit your purchase details, wait for verification, and (if verified) receive the incentive check in the mail. Car purchases made from an individual who is not a certified retailer do not qualify for this program.

Encourage your property manager or landlord to apply for Peninsula Clean Energy’s EV Ready program to get assistance in installing EV chargers.

There are also apps you can download to find your closest public charger like PlugShare…