Rebates are helping to rev up Massachusetts drivers to buy and lease electric vehicles (EVs) since they went into effect in June 2014. Nearly three-quarters of recent EV customers who participated in a survey indicated financial incentives were an important factor in their decision to go electric, according to data released by CSE for the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).
Now in its second year, the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program has issued more than $3,170,750 for 1,350 purchases with models made by Tesla, Nissan, Chevrolet and Ford leading in rebates. According to CSE’s report, about 65 percent of rebates are for all-battery electric vehicles, such as the Nissan LEAF, while the remaining are plug-in hybrids. Massachusetts registration records show approximately 5,000 EVs currently owned in the state.
MOR-EV provides up to $2,500 to residents who buy or lease eligible electric vehicles. The program’s first year was funded with $2 million from cap-and-trade auction proceeds of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. In April, Massachusetts DOER approved an additional $2 million for the MOR-EV’s second year and tapped CSE, a national nonprofit organization, to continue administering the rebate program.
For complete program information, remaining rebate funds and other details, go to www.MOR-EV.org.
