‘Discouraging’: Fresno EV owner reacts to end of federal tax credit

FRESNO, California (KSEE/KGPE) – Car buyers are racing to buy electric vehicles before the federal EV tax credit ends September 30.

California ranks as the top state in the US for electric vehicle sales, but those sales are expected to fall when the tax credit expires.

“Definitely discouraging when trying to buy, you know, I mean, when your future is buying EV cars,” electric vehicle owner Ruben Valdez said.

Valdez has owned electric vehicles for a decade and recently purchased a new EV – but his buys could get pricier. The federal electric vehicle tax credit ends on Sept. 30. New EVs won’t be eligible for up to $7,500 in credit, and used EVs won’t be eligible for up to $4,000 in credit.

“I’m going to do more research. As in okay, is this something that can be beneficial? Is it not going to be beneficial? Should I just stick with gasoline? Things like that,” Valdez said.

Fresno Acura tells YourCentralValley.com they’ve seen a spike in EV sales since the Trump Administration introduced the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

“When it comes to EV sales, we have seen an uptick not only in July and August, but we expect those numbers to continue through the end of the month,” Fresno Acura’s Chief Compliance Officer, Ellena Sweet, said.

But the Sept. 30 deadline is causing uncertainty for dealerships.

“We also foresee that there will be a huge drop in demand for EVs,” Sweet said.

There is also concern among the Coalition for Clean Air.

“It’s a huge mistake by the federal government to go backwards on electric vehicles. We have to realize that California has the worst air pollution in the entire country,” Coalition for Clean Air Policy Director Bill Magavern said.

Magaverns says he expects EV sales to continue, but not everyone will be able to afford going green.

“The households that we really need to help are the low and moderate-income households that have trouble affording the purchase price of that EV,” Magavern said.

You’ll still see electric vehicles for sale in Fresno, but at a higher price.

“Acura is releasing a new EV next year. We expect it in the spring. So manufacturers are still creating EVs, and they’re still rolling out new ones. It’s just not going to be at the same pace as it was before,” Sweet said.

Sweet also says manufacturers are switching from electric to hybrid vehicles, but that could take time to populate the market.