Connecticut Offers Direct Rebates to Buyers of EVs, Hybrids

The state of Connecticut is offering residents immediate rebates of $750 to $3,000 if they buy or lease hydrogen-, battery- or hybrid-powered vehicles.

The $885,000 million pilot program is funded by the Eversource Energy, a public utility with headquarters in Connecticut and Massachusetts, through the San Diego, Calif.-based Center for Sustainable Energy. A small portion of the fund provides as much as $300 per car to dealerships for each sale they make.

Proponents, who hope to lure state funding for the rebates, tell Automotive News that time-of-sale rebates are more effective in coaxing consumers to buy EVs.

There were about 3,000 EVs registered in Connecticut when the rebates began in May, according to AN. Since then the program has distributed checks to 125 car buyers, according to the newspaper. Connecticut is targeting cumulative sales of about 300,000 hybrids and zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

Massachusetts also offers its citizens rebates of $1,500 to $2,500 if they buy an electrified vehicle. But that $2 million program, which began more than a year ago, requires buyers to apply for a refund and wait for payment.

Both states are among a group of 14 that have adopted air quality standards set by the California Air Resources Board that specifically mandate zero-emission vehicle sales targets.