Federal EV incentive ending soon: Clovis dealership reacts

CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Time is running out for those who have been thinking of buying a new electric vehicle to take advantage of the federal rebate program that makes EVs more affordable.

The federal incentive, which offers $7,500 for new EVs and $4,000 for used ones, will officially end on Sept. 30, after President Trump signed what’s being called the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law last Friday.

That means consumers have less than three months to lock in the savings before the federal program goes away. But California may soon offer its own rebate program to keep buyers interested in electric vehicles.

“For me, it would be too expensive to buy an electric car if I don’t get the rebate,” said EV owner Augusto Correia, who made the switch from gas to electric just a few months ago.

Correia is one of millions of Americans who’ve benefited from the federal rebate over the past three years.

In 2022, the Biden administration expanded the EV incentive as part of a broader push toward clean energy. The program has helped lower the cost of EV ownership by thousands of dollars, but that’s about to change.

With Friday’s signing of the new bill, the incentive program is set to end Sept. 30.

Before the bill was signed, California Governor Gavin Newsom pledged to launch a state-level rebate if the federal program ended.

When asked for an update, Newsom’s office issued the following statement:

We continue to work with our legislative partners and leadership to advance the joint effort announced in April to extend the state’s Cap-and-Invest program. Pending these discussions, this could include new zero-emission vehicle incentives.
Daniel Villaseñor, Deputy Director of Communications, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Brett Hedrick, co-owner of Hedrick’s Chevrolet in Clovis, says electric vehicles currently make up 22% of the cars sold on his lot, but that number could drop significantly without the rebate.

“You’re probably looking, like for like, in the same type and style of vehicle, at around a six to eight thousand dollar difference more for an EV,” Hedrick said.

There’s no official timeline for a California rebate yet, but discussions are underway.