California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) is launching Rebate Now, a preapproved rebate program designed to make it easier and faster for California residents to lease or purchase EVs. The program will debut in San Diego and, if successful, will be applied statewide.

Car shoppers can apply online and use Rebate Now at participating dealerships to receive a discount on the sale or lease of an eligible model.

Since 2009, CVRP has issued over $480 million in rebates for more than 218,000 eligible EVs. Rebates range from $900 for zero-emission motorcycles to between $1,500 and $5,000 for passenger cars. An additional $2,000 is available for qualified lower-income residents.

Customers must apply for a preapproved rebate, but are not required to select a specific make or model before car shopping. After CVRP preapproves their application, they can visit a participating dealership, where it should only take a few minutes for sales staff to qualify the rebate application.

“Car shoppers in San Diego can now get preapproved before they purchase or lease an EV and then transfer the rebate amount directly to the dealership rather than applying for the rebate after the transaction,” said Lawrence Goldenhersh, President of the Center for Sustainable Energy, which administers CVRP for the California Air Resources Board. “In just a few simple steps, the car dealership can claim the transferred rebate and use it to lower the customer’s down-payment.”

Source: CVRP via Green Car Congress