by Scott McClallen, for The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Vermont has given 3,534 electric vehicle rebates since 2019 across four programs.
In 2012, the state had 180 registered electric vehicles. Through July, residents have registered 10,022, 55% of which are all-electric vehicles powered by a battery and 45% of which are plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that can run on electricity and gasoline.
The Vermont Legislature has authorized four vehicle incentive programs for income-qualified Vermonters. The plug-in electric vehicle incentive program, enacted in 2019, provides up to $5,000 to eligible Vermonters with higher incentive amounts for lower-income households toward buying a new electric vehicle.
State incentives are available for new vehicle purchases or leases of eligible EVs with a base manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $50,000 or less.
The program has provided 2,294 incentives, 1,526 all-electric vehicles, and 768 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. It has $17.1 million authorized in total to date with $8.4 million remaining from fiscal year 2023.
A 2019 program called MileageSmart provides up to $5,000 or 25% toward buying a used vehicle that gets 40 miles per gallon or more. The program provides point-of-sale financial assistance through Vermont’s Community Action Agencies to income-eligible Vermonters.
The program has issued 677 incentives, 367 hybrid electric vehicles, 172 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and 138 all-electric vehicles. It has $5.2 million authorized in total to date and $1.7 million remaining from fiscal year 2023.
A Replace Your Ride program aims to retire vehicles 10-plus years old with an internal combustion engine. Launched in September of 2022, it provides up to $5,000 for income-eligible Vermonters who retire a high-polluting vehicle for an electric vehicle, bike, e-bike, electric motorcycle, or shared mobility services.
The program issued 47 incentives, 25 for new plug-in electric vehicles, 20 for used plug-in electric vehicles, and five for clean mobility cards. The program has $3.8 million authorized in total to date with $3 million remaining from fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
The fourth program, launched in July 2022, provides a prepaid voucher of up to $800 to purchase an electric bicycle, e-cargo bike, or adaptive e-bike, with incentives available only for households with lower incomes.
In round one, Vermont issued 279 incentives, with 68% benefitting Vermonters at the lowest income levels. In round two, 237 vouchers were issued to households with lower incomes.
Only $700 remains after two rounds of funding totaling $255,000. The average voucher issued totaled $533.
Federal data as of 2022 says Vermont has 501,500 gasoline vehicles, 40,000 E85 vehicles, 17,800 hybrids, 6,400 biodiesel, and 4,200 plug-in electric vehicles.
The number of electric vehicles in the state increased by 2,520 vehicles or 34% over the past year, according to Drive Electric Vermont.
There are over 95 unique models of plug-in cars registered in the state. The Nissan LEAF was the most popular all-electric model with 1,025 total registrations. Top sellers in the second quarter included the Toyota RAV4 Prime (103 added registrations), the Tesla Model Y (77), the Jeep Wrangler 4xe (48), the VW ID.4 (39), and the Nissan LEAF (38).
There are now 360 locations with public charging for electric vehicles across the state.
Categories: Energy, Environment, State Government
Stick EV Where the sun doesn’t Shine period!
funding rich donors’ personal cars since 2019!
Vermont, here’s your sign, Montpelier isn’t’ working for you.
we could easily have 50mpg vehicles that cost less than $10k new, but we just won’t allow them to be build or imported.
one might think if the world was going to end, we might be a little more flexible….but no, it was and never is about being a good steward of the environment.
It’s all about fear, control and taking as much of your money as possible…..own nothing and be happy, the mantra of WEF slave masters in 2023
Do we have the total figure for the amount of kickbacks received by the despots, ignorant bureaucrats, and corporatations involved? The greasy palms dripping in blood money and blatant fraud. Yet, the kool-aide drinkers are obedient and compliant to their own financial demise afterall. Well played lucrative scam by the charlatans in charge. They are laughing and quite pleased with their evil selves.
That’s the best angry, uninformed, and empty accusation I’ve ever heard.
Prove me wrong. Tell us where the fraud is and how you’ve uncovered it, Melissa.
Mr. Costello, the real numbers do not lie. I have reviewed election filings, I have reviewed historical budget figures, I have reviewed news articles, I have reviewed copious amounts of documentation that shows the level of fraud that no one seems to give a crap about. As my career was investigating fraud, liability, contracts, and such – you finger wagging at me means absolutely nothing! Above all that, I studied the law, and no amount of gaslighting is going to sway me that ignoring the law is fine and acceptable- it is not, it is criminal! Stay ignorant, Mr. Costello, it is bliss afterall is it not?