California Center for Sustainable Energy

Rental fleets limited to 50 rebates, no limit for car share programs

As of December 2011, policies and procedures outlined in the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project ( CVRP) FY 2011-2012 Implementation Manual are in effect. Potential rebate applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to review the manual as it clarifies the requirements for program participation, administration and implementation. The Implementation Manual is available on the CVRP and ARB websites. Key program changes for FY 2011-2011 are outlined below:

“Floor Model” and “Test Drive” Vehicle Eligibility

Vehicles previously used as dealership floor models and test drive vehicles are eligible for the rebate if the vehicles have not been previously registered with the California DMV. See section 2.3.1 for more details.

Vehicles Sold but not Rebated

Vehicles which were sold or leased but returned to the dealer before being rebated may be considered eligible for the rebate on a case by case basis. See section 2.3.1 for more details.

Special Provisions for Fleets

A special provision has been added for rental car and car share fleets due to the unique opportunity these fleets have in reaching a large consumer base. Rental car fleets may apply for up to 50 rebates per calendar year while there is no limit for car sharing fleets. Initially 10% of FY 2011-2012 CVRP funds will be reserved for car share fleet rebates; this set aside may be revised by program staff at a later date. All other entities are still limited to 20 rebates per calendar year. See sections 2.6-2.8 for more details.

Waiting List

Unlike the previous years, the FY 2011-2012 Implementation Manual does not indicate an automatic waiting list when rebate funds are depleted. When funds get low, ARB will review the progress of the CVRP to determine if a waiting list is necessary and appropriate. See section 2.10 for more details.

Responsibilities for Vehicle Purchasers

More detail has been added regarding new responsibilities of rebate recipients that are required to remove the vehicle from California or sell the vehicle before the required 36 month term has been completed. In these circumstances, a prorated rebate amount must be returned to CCSE based on the formula below:

(Original Rebate Received/36 months)×(36-number of months since rebate received)

See section 3.3 for more details.

Although the FY 2011-2012 changes generally affect a small number of applicants, all rebate recipients should understand the program requirements so they can receive the benefits the state is providing for making the switch to cleaner vehicles!