OLYMPIA—The choice and benefits of driving electric vehicles (EVs) are about to become more affordable to many Washingtonians, due to a new $45 million state program state program announced by Governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday, April 23, that will provide an instant rebate of up to $9,000 to eligible residents purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle. The Washington EV Instant Rebate opens in August 2024.
Governor Inslee shared that goal of the EV rebate program is to “democratize EVs.”
“Washington state is already a leader in EV adoption, but many more people interested in ditching the gas pump may think they can’t afford to do it,” Governor Inslee said. “With these new rebates, we’re significantly lowering the entry point, opening the door to EVs for people of modest incomes as we continue paving the way to a clean transportation future for all.”
Inslee added that electric vehicles are “easy, very motive, and you can’t get enough of them!” He shared that the rebates are possible by the Climate Commitment Act.
Washington is the first state to prioritize low-cost leases as part of an EV incentive program. Under the new program, Washington residents earning up to $45,180 annually for a single person or $93,600 for family of four, are eligible to receive up to $9,000 for a new EV lease of three years or more, or up to $5,000 for new EV purchases or two-year leases. Used EVs are also eligible for a $2,500 rebate on both purchases and leases.
“Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution,” Washington State Department of Commerce Director Mike Fong said. “It is important that people who live in our most-impacted communities, which tend to be urban and lower income, have access to cleaner transportation options, including the choice of EV ownership. These rebates can help many more people all across the state buy or lease an EV.”
In an example estimate based on advertised lease deals in April that combine federal government and automaker incentives, the added Washington EV Instant Rebate program could make lease payments on at least four EV models less than $100 a month with no down payment for qualifying consumers. In comparison, monthly payments for the most commonly leased gas cars average about $500 per month, according to recent data from Experion.
For more information about the Washington EV Instant Rebate program for consumers, visit the Commerce webpage.
How the rebate for EVs will work
Interested consumers will go to a dealer to learn about low-cost lease offers available under the state instant rebate program. The dealer will get a signed attestation that the buyer meets the income requirements of the program, and determine that their credit score qualifies for a lease deal on offer. With that, the dealer deducts the applicable rebate amount from the cost of the lease and then applies dealer, state and local fees to arrive at the total lease amount. There is no state sales tax because the vehicles qualify for the state’s zero-emission vehicles exemption up to $15,000 in lease payments.
For example: A dealer is advertising a three-year lease at $239 per month with $1,999 due at signing – for a total lease cost of $10,364 ($1,999 + $239 x 35 months). For the qualifying customer, a $9,000 state EV Instant Rebate brings the lease cost down to $1,364. The dealer applies a $500 lease fee, $200 documentation fee, and collects state and local transit, title and registration fees of $734, making the final lease total $2,798, or $78 per month over the 36-month agreement.
The rebate program will collaborate with automakers and dealers to offer the low-cost EV leasing and point-of-sale rebates. Together, these opportunities make EVs more accessible to a broader range of people. Dealers who participate in the program can also receive incentives for promoting EV adoption. Additionally, the program will provide EV charging education through a variety of consumer awareness and engagement activities.
By facilitating the transition from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles, the Washington EV Instant Rebate program will directly contribute to cleaner air and a healthier environment. It is estimated that the program could lead to a reduction of up to 24,000 metric tons of Co2 emissions in the transportation sector, Washington’s greatest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.
State strategy calls for equitable access
Commerce co-chairs the Washington Interagency Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council (EV Council) with the Department of Transportation. The EV Council released a state Transportation Electrification Strategy (TES) in February, providing recommendations to ensure that EV incentives and infrastructure are accessible and available to all Washingtonians.
During the TES process, rideshare drivers – many of whom will qualify for the new instant rebates – expressed the need for incentives and rebates.
“Rideshare drivers spend a lot of miles on the road. For a just transition to electric vehicles, EV driving needs to be accessible to drivers of all walks of life,” said Kathryn Jensen, field representative focused on EVs for the Drivers Union. “Along with fast charging infrastructure to power these vehicles, readily affordable EV options will make the switch to electric possible for more of our communities than ever before.”
In addition to the consumer EV lease and purchase incentives announced today, Commerce is administering over $120 million in funding promoting electrification of transportation in Washington state.
More EV charging stations across the state
EV infrastructure investments include $85 million announced in February for nearly 5,000 new charging stations in multifamily housing properties, publicly accessible locations, and in communities highly vulnerable to the health impacts of air pollution.
Approximately $116 million of this work is funded by the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), creating jobs, lowering costs and fighting climate change throughout Washington state.
Earlier in the day, King County hosted an Earth Week event highlighting its EV fleet and noting a $5.8 million grant from Commerce funded by the CCA.
“We’re taking action in King County — and across Washington state — to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to critical funding from the Department of Commerce we can work to expand to EV charging access countywide. This is a great example of how King County can partner with state and local governments, community organizations and the commercial sector to tackle the climate crisis,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.
“Today’s event was hosted at Seattle City Light’s Tukwila public fast charging station located at 13050 Interurban Avenue South. This station is the most frequently used of all the utility’s charging locations throughout the service area and popular with ride hail drivers and EV renters from the nearby Sea-Tac airport.”
SOURCE: Press release by the Department of Commerce with additions from the press conference by the Lynnwood Times
26 Responses
Perhaps this program should include a rebate for those who buy from private sellers.
I’m what is called a skeptical optimist. It’s obvious that these efforts will help some to afford an EV. However, this article is low on the details of “who” is paying for these rebates. These technologies are in their infancy and do not meet the approval of my needs. Am I going to be paying for those that wish to have an EV? You know that money collected through commercial sources will be passed on to the consumer. That would be me! No Thanks Jay.
The states short term disability “ran out of funds” and I had to work through part of my cancer treatment. They still take money from me. But they always have money for everything else.
Aka as tax payers of ICE vehicles subsidizing EVs.
We used the federal rebate program to purchase a Nissan Leaf last year. I love my EV, and it meets 95% of my driving needs for in town driving. One big need for folks of modest incomes is EV charging capacity at apartment buildings and work places. EVs are economical if you can charge them conveniently and cheaply.
Thanks for taking taxpayer dollars, you short sighted idiot.
Stop giving away my tax dollars. It is not your piggyback. You almost take half my paycheck as it is and rent and property tax is not going down. Dude fuck off already.
Absolutely!
Then they will add an excise tax to everyone’s power bill to pay for it.
What is the resale value on an EV turd? If it has 70k miles on it, you will have to come up with 34k to buy a new battery at 100k miles. The climate change agenda is one of the biggest lies ever told to humanity. Wake up people, look around! Your Democrat leaders have destroyed our state and country. Please tell me one way we have gotten better in the last 3 years under these charlatans.
Uber drivers will be in line for miles.
Nice job Jay. Take money from taxpayers and waste it on feel good programs of limited value. If we follow the money which special interest group will benefit? We need to shrink not increase these wasteful government handouts.
Sorry but this won’t make me purchase a EV as they are way out of my price range even with this rebate and I am not making any payments on a vehicle as I don’t have a payment on either of my cars. Pushing EVs with a rebate isn’t going to solve that most cant afford to buy one.
Weird that they claim to care so much about the environment but this is the dirtiest, trashiest place that I have ever lived. Human feces on the sidewalk, needles at the playground. Literal tons of garbage, mounds of it everywhere.
If the goal is to get as many people off fossil fueled vehicles as possible, why place an income limit?
Jay inslee taxing us to waste our money agian.
Jay inslee should be in prison for embezzlement
Forget about what’s being offered….the reality is the cost of the batteries and how much resources are being used to make for one battery and all the diesel vehicles that are not mentioned that have been used using fuel….and the radioactive waste that ends up in our dumpsites
Nobody wants them, we don’t have the power grid and the battery’s cost $20000 to replace. Inslee why don’t you come out and denounce pro hamas.
If you know Seattle neighborhoods, you’ll know that charging 100,000 EVs with tight street parking will become a real issue. How is this going to be addressed?
Ok let’s be clear on the formula here. Working folks foot the bill to expand the ev population. The expanded EV population requires more EV charging facilities. Again the working folks will pay more (a lot more) to pay for the EV charging stations but the bebfit iOS that the democrats gain enormous funding because guess who will build the charging stations – you guessed it the highest bidder with a union workforce and a generous donation to the Democratic Party. The cycle just repeats itself no matter what aspect of the climate change act you consider. We pay and it is good for the Democratic Party election buying fund.
The CCA generated $1 billion dollars in its first year alone, (from gasoline taxes), where is the other $855,000,000? Should have spent more money developing Hydrogen technology. Far better for the environment and way cheaper.
If you’re making less than $45K, how do you even afford an EV? 🤔
My paycheck just keeps getting smaller and with costs of things like rent and food going up in price with no relief in sight my wages have not
Increased to reflect the higher cost of living so i really dont see how this rebate program is going to give people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford an EV the opportunity to lease or own one and the rebate amount is lower for purchasing an EV then it is for leasing one that seems less like a means of making EV,s affordable and more like a means of throwing away money away to lease EV this program will fail unless the state starts giving away free EV,s to everyone people are not likely to give up a gas car for an EV. Electric cars have limitations i like to travel by car when i go on vacation that cant be done in an electric car that requires the infrastructure being in place outside citys and that doesn’t sound like part of the states infrastructure plan and im not seeing Exon, Chevron and Shell adding EV charging stations at the gas stations thats the type of infrastructure that is needed to support EV,s. EV,s are a fad and like all fads they will fade away.
Does this apply to hybrid cars?
Leasing is the worst way to purchase a car, esp. for low income folk’s,since it is only a short term solution and benefits the dealer more than the consumer with 3 year old low mileage cars that can re-sell for near new prices. Somewhere there is an interest rate calculated into the lease and usually very little applied to reduce the purchase price at lease end. So the 3 year old car can cost more to the buyer at least end.
If the governor-ment is spending $9k for leases why not spend $9k for purchases, for vehicles priced based on Kelly Blue Book and MSRP. Also provide sales tax rebates for private party sales, currently only allowed to dealers.
This plan rewards auto dealers more than consumers.
Inslee, screw you, your party and the EV’S you’re trying to pawn on us!