Connecticut on Thursday became the third state after Massachusetts and California to contract with the San Diego-based Center for Sustainable Energy to administer electric-vehicle incentives.
The Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate, or CHEAPR, program offers up to $3,000 per vehicle for battery-electric, fuel-cell electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Rebates for up to 325 vehicles are expected to be issued in the initial phase of the program.
“This rebate puts money right back in people’s pockets and makes the cost of purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle competitive with the price of a conventional car,” said Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy.
The San Diego center also administers the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project for the California Air Resources Board and the MOR-EV rebate program for the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources. It is the only third-party organization in the nation to manage statewide clean vehicle incentive programs and has distributed more than $170 million in rebates to more than 85,000 clean vehicle owners since 2009.
“Connecticut is well-positioned to be a leader in EV adoption with many characteristics found in EV clusters across the nation — high density, short commute distances and relatively high incomes,” said Len Hering, executive director of the San Diego center. “The added value and rewards of these rebates will help people to make more sustainable personal transportation choices while supporting state and local goals for cleaner air and reduced fossil-fuel consumption.”
