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California EV Rebates, Tax Credits and EV Incentives
The state of California’s rebates, tax credits, and incentives for purchasing electric cars have played a crucial role in supporting high EV adoption rates in the Golden State. In 2025, residents of the state continue to have plenty of opportunities to embrace EVs with the benefits of state, local, and utility incentives.
Clean Cars 4 All – California Electric Vehicle Rebate Program
Clean Cars 4 All provides incentives up to $13,500 to help lower-income consumers living in priority populations to replace their old higher-polluting vehicles with newer and cleaner transportation. California residents who meet income requirements can collect up to $12,000 to retire and replace their older gas-powered cars with cleaner alternatives like hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and zero-emission vehicles (plus up to $2,000 for EV charging). Those not getting rid of an older car can qualify for up to $7,500 in purchase grants.
Consumer Assistance Program Vehicle Retirement
The Consumer Assistance Program’s (CAP) vehicle retirement option offers eligible consumers an incentive to retire their operational vehicle. In 2025 consumers meeting the income eligibility requirement may receive $2,000 for each vehicle retired. All other vehicle owners may receive $1,350 to retire their vehicle at a BAR-contracted dismantler.
California EV Tax Credits
California does not have a state-wide EV tax credit, but residents may qualify for federal EV tax credits like the $7,500 clean vehicle tax credit for new vehicles, or the $4,000 used clean vehicle tax credit. Income restrictions as well as battery component and critical mineral restrictions may apply. Be sure to speak to a qualified CPA or tax professional to check your eligibility.
Additionally, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit provides a federal tax credit up to $1,000 to offset costs related to installing an EV charger at home. Businesses can claim EV charger tax credits worth up to $100,000.
California EV Rebates
Utilities in California have their own electrification programs for energy transition technologies like electric car, with 7 different California utilities currently offering EV rebates:
Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) provides rebates of up to $6,000 for the purchase of a pre-owned EV with a purchase price below $40,000. For more information see the AMP EV website.
Burbank Water and Power (BWP) offers residential customers a rebate of up to $1,000 for the purchase of a pre-owned EV. For more information see the BWP Used EV Rebate website.
Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE) offers rebates of up to $4,000 to residential, commercial, and public agency customers for the purchase of new or pre-owned EVs or electric motorcycles. CCCE also offers a $700 rebate for Level 2 EV chargers, and an additional EV Readiness Rebate of up to $4,000 for related electrical upgrades. For more information see the CCCE Electrify Your Ride website.
MCE offers a $3,500 rebate for the purchase or lease of a new EV or PHEV and a $2,000 rebate for the purchase or lease of a pre-owned EV or PHEV for residential customers. To be eligible for the rebate, applicants must live in MCE’s service area, be an MCE customer, and meet at least one of the qualifying income requirements. For more information, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, see the MCE EV Rebates website.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) offers residential customers a rebate of $1,000 for the purchase of a pre-owned EV. Low-income residents are eligible for a rebate of up to $4,000. Additional terms and conditions apply. For more information visit our PGE EV Incentives blog.
Pasadena Water & Power (PWP) provides rebates of $250 to residential customers who purchase or lease an eligible new or pre-owned EV. An additional $250 is available for eligible EVs purchased or leased from a Pasadena dealership. Customers participating in PWP’s income-qualifying programs may also qualify for an additional $1,000 rebate, for a total of $1,500. Customers may receive rebates for up to 2 EVs per address every 3 years. Additional terms and conditions apply. For more information see the PWP Residential EV and Charger Incentive Program website.
With SCE’s Pre-Owned EV Rebate, you could receive a $1,000 or $4,000 rebate based on household income. Plus, with the Charge Ready Home Rebate Program, you can qualify for an additional $4,200 in rebates if you install a Level 2 EV charger. For more information visit our SCE EV Incentives blog.
California EV Charger Rebates
In addition to the above incentives that are offered for purchasing an electric car, California residents can also claim rebates for purchasing and installing Level 2 EV chargers, ranging from as little to $150 to up to $1,500. 13 utilities in California currently offer EV charger rebates.
Scroll down to view more details for specific utility providers in CA.
California Utility Rebates for Level 2 EV Chargers & Installation
Alameda Municipal Power EV Charger Rebates
Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) provides rebates to residential, commercial, and multifamily customers for the purchase of Level 2 EV charging stations. $500 for residential, $6,000 for commercial and $8,000 for multifamily. See the AMP EV program page for details.
Anaheim Public Utilities EV Charger Rebates
Anaheim Public Utilities (APU) provides rebates for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers for the purchase and installation of Level 2 or direct current fast charging (DCFC) stations. A $1,000 rebate is available for customers installing networked Level 2 charging stations who also sign up for TOU electricity rates. See the APU Private Use EV Charger Rebate page for details and limitations.
Azusa Light & Water EV Charger Rebates
Azusa Light & Water offers a $150 rebate to customers for the purchase of an ENERGY STAR certified Level 2 EV charging station. For more information see Azusa’s EVs website.
Burbank Water & Power EV Charger Rebates
Burbank Water and Power (BWP) provides residential Level 2 EV charger rebates worth up to $1,250 including $500 for the EV charger and an additional $750 for electric panel upgrades. Customers in disadvantaged communities can claim up to $1,500. Commercial or multi-unit dwelling customers may receive rebates worth up to $7,500 for installing Level 2 charging stations, and up to $20,000 for DC Fast stations. Learn more on the BWP Residential & Commercial EV Charging Rebates pages.
Glendale Water & Power EV Charger Rebates
Glendale Water and Power (GWP) provides residential Level 2 EV charger rebates worth up to $1,399 including $599 for the EV charger and an additional $800 for electric panel upgrades. Commercial or multifamily customers can receive up to $75,000 or 75% of total project costs. For program guidelines and application materials see the GWP Electric Vehicles web page.
LADWP EV Charger Rebates
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) offers a rebate of up to $1,000 for Level 2 EV chargers, and a $250 rebate for the installation of a dedicated EV charging meter. Customers participating in LADWP Lifeline or EZ-SAVE Low-Income Customer Assistance programs are eligible for an additional $500 rebate for a total of $1,750. For more information, see the EV Charger Rebates tab on LADWP’s website.
Liberty EV Charger Rebates
Liberty’s home charging rebate helps EV owners collect a rebate of up to $1,500 for Level 2 charging. Small businesses can receive a $2,500 rebate. Visit Liberty’s website to learn more about EV charger rebates offered to customers.
MCE EV Charger Rebates
MCE offers incentives to multifamily and commercial customers installing EV chargers with rebates up to $4,500 per port. The Transportation Authority of Marin offers an additional $3,000 rebate for Level 2 chargers. For more information, including how to apply and eligible EV charging stations see the MCE EV Rebates website.
Pasadena Water & Power EV Charger Rebates
Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) provides a $600 rebate for residential customers toward the installation of a WiFi enabled Level 2 EV charger, or $200 toward the installation of a non-WiFi enabled EV charger. For more information, including how to apply, see the PWP Residential EV and Charger Incentive Program website.
PGE EV Charger Rebates
PG&E offers EV charger rebates worth 50% to 100% of project costs based on household income. Equipment must be from PG&E’s pre-approved equipment list. For more information visit our PGE EV Incentives blog.
SCE EV Charger Rebates
Southern California Edison (SCE) customers can qualify for up to $4,200 in rebates to offset costs associated with electric panel upgrades to support a home Level 2 EV charger installation. For more information visit our SCE EV Incentives blog.
Commercial EV charging rebates are also available from SCE for businesses, government organizations, and multifamily properties. Rebate amounts vary, and sites located in disadvantaged communities are eligible for additional rebates. For more information, including eligibility requirements and funding availability, see the SCE Charge Ready Program website.
SMUD EV Charger Rebates
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has partnered with Qmerit and Uplight to offer bundled EV charger installations and help you maximize rebates and savings. You could save up to $1,000 on your Level 2 at-home EV charger installation by taking advantage of the SMUD Charge@Home program while benefiting from expert installation from a Qmerit contractor. For more information, visit SMUD’s EV charger store and our SMUD EV Rebate blog.
Sonoma Clean Power EV Charger Rebates
Qualified Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) customers are eligible to receive a free Level 2 EV charging station with Wi-Fi capabilities. Customers are responsible for shipping and installation costs. Customers may also receive $5 per month for connecting the EV charging station to the GridSavvy Rewards program. Other terms and conditions may apply. For more information see the SCP GridSavvy website.
EV Charging Rates in California
Some utilities in California also offer special time-of-use (TOU) electricity rates for EV drivers, designed to encourage vehicle charging during select times of the day.
Special EV Charging Rates from California Utilities
Alameda Municipal Power (AMP) offers a TOU rate to customers that own or lease an EV. For more information see the AMP Electric Vehicles website.
Burbank Water and Power (BWP) offers a TOU rate to residential or multi-family customers for electricity used to charge EVs. Customers must remain on the EV TOU rate for a minimum of one year. For more information see the BWP EVs website.
Liberty Utilities offers residential and commercial customers TOU rates for charging EVs. For more information, see the Liberty Utilities EV Program website. Liberty’s TOU-EV rate lowers the cost of energy during off peak hours, so customers who can leave their cars plugged in overnight can benefit most. See the full details on the TOU-EV rate page.
MCE offers residential customers an incentive of $50 for enrolling in MCE’s managed charging program. Participants in this program may receive a monthly rebate of up to $10. MCE Sync automatically charges your EV during the cheapest off-peak hours, based on your electricity rate, and passes the savings back to you. For more information, including participation and eligibility requirements, see the MCE EV Smart Charging App website.
Additionally, MCE offers multi-unit dwelling, and workplace customers TOU rates for charging EVs. EV drivers can save significantly on charging costs by charging outside peak hours (4 PM to 9 PM). For even more savings, consider choosing MCE’s residential EV rate (EV2). Additional terms and conditions apply. For more information see the MCE EV Rate Plans website.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has special electricity rates designed to encourage customers to avoid using electricity during the early evening when the cost of electricity is highest. Learn more on the PG&E EV Rate Plans page.
Register your EV on your Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) account to receive a 1.5¢ discount on all electric usage between midnight and 6 AM. For a SMUD account to receive the EV rate credit, a plug-in electric vehicle must be registered with the DMV using the same service address as the SMUD account. Learn more on the SMUD Residential Electric Vehicles page.
SMUD is also rewarding drivers for charging EVs when it’s best for the electricity grid and when it allows us to use more renewable energy, working with automakers to test how it can help Sacramento-area customers charge their electric vehicles at times of day when energy demand is low. Participants will receive a one-time, initial incentive and also a quarterly reward payment. Learn more on the Managed EV Charging page.
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) offers the EV-TOU-5 plan for customers to charge electric vehicles at home during off-peak times. Pricing is based on how much electricity you use and when, with three pricing periods. This plan could be a good fit if you can shift some of your electricity use away from the on-peak hours of 4-9 PM and you can regularly charge an electric vehicle during the super off-peak period late at night. Learn more on the SDG&E Rate Advisor page.
Public EV Charging Stations in California
California is the most EV-friendly state with more than 17,000 public EV charging stations available.
As mentioned above, California has robust at-home EV charger installation and charging incentives that can help reduce EV driver reliance on public charging, provide the convenience of at-home charging, and offering greater cost savings than utilizing public EV charging stations.
How Many Public EV Charging Stations Are in California?
As of May 2025, California has more than 17,300 public charging stations including over 15,300 Level 2 and 2,300 DC Fast stations. There are 52,243 public EV charging ports, 524 Tesla Supercharger stations and 8,361 Tesla Supercharger ports in California.
How Much Do Public EV Charging Stations Cost in California?
Public EV charging facilities use different billing models, usually incorporating the cost of the energy used as well as various operating costs.
Drive Clean California statistics reveal that operators charge an average of $0.20-$0.30 per kWh for public Level 2 EV charging stations and $0.40-$0.60 per kWh for DC Fast Charging. With an electric car adding 3-4 miles of range per kWh and an average battery capacity of 75-100 kWh, driving a distance of 13,489 miles will cost approximately $675-$1,350 per year to exclusively use public Level 2 EV chargers, and $1,349-$2,698 per year to exclusively charge with DCFC chargers.
Be sure to read our article discussing the Cost of Charging an EV at Home vs. Public Charging.
Are There Free Public EV Charging Stations in California?
Free public EV charging is offered by some municipalities, such as the City of Los Angeles, with more than 600 free charging stations. However, relying solely on free public charging isn’t recommended as a reliable source of daily charging as options are more limited, lines can be longer, and charging stations may experience frequent outages.
Finding free charging stations can also be challenging if you are unfamiliar with the area, as more apps are available to direct you to paid charging stations, so trying to utilize free charging while traveling can create additional stress on your journey.
Where Are Public EV Charging Stations Located in California?
You can expect to find charging options in the streets of major cities like San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, or Los Angeles. These metropolitan areas also have various parking garages, hotels, and other businesses that offer charging for customers and guests, so locating charging in more urban areas is relatively easy.
For EV drivers in more rural locations across the state, California recently invested $40.5 million to build EV charging stations along major highways, a measure that will facilitate access to charging along busy corridors.
Tesla has built a Supercharger network of fast charging stations throughout the state, with locations approximately 150 miles apart along I-5 and Highway 99.
Visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center Map of EV Charging Station Locations in California, which can be sorted and filtered based on public access, charger type (Level 1, Level 2, DC Fast), and connector type (NACS, J1772, CCS, CHAdeMO).
Home Electrification Incentives in California
The state of California has access to offer home energy rebates funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, including $291 million for home efficiency rebates and $290 million for home electrification available for things like appliance rebates, insulation and air sealing, heat pumps for space and water heating, and upgrades to smart electrical panels necessary to enable those retrofits.
Combining EV ownership with other electrification projects, such as upgrading your home with solar panels & battery storage, or investing in a heat pump, will help you save even more while reducing your environmental impact.
In California, you may qualify for home electrification incentives through your electricity provider in addition to the U.S. federal government. Scroll down to read rebate and incentive details for specific home electrification technologies.
Battery Storage
California has a statewide incentive for battery storage. The Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) provides a rebate when you install a battery storage system designed to function during a power outage. The value of your rebate varies depending on your utility company, the size of your battery (in kilowatt-hours, kWh), and whether you’re a low-income customer or live in a high-fire-risk area.
Additionally, the 25D Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit provides a 30% federal tax credit on the cost of new battery storage systems size 3kWh and larger.
Electrical Panels
The 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit provides a federal tax credit for electrical panel upgrades needed to complete electrification projects like heat pumps and heat pump water heaters (up to 30% of project costs, capped at $600). The 25C tax credit can be used by renters, and homeowners making upgrades to their primary or secondary home.
Qualifying electrical panels must meet the standards of the National Electric Code (NEC) and have a capacity of 200 Amps or more. This means that your new/upgraded panel must be able to serve a load of at least 200 Amps, but you don’t need 200 Amps of incoming utility service. Smart panels may qualify if they allow you to serve a load of 200 Amps.
If you’re claiming 25D for a residential solar or battery storage project and the installation required you to upgrade your main panel, you may be able to apply 25D to electrical panel costs as well.
If you live in a single-family home with an electrical panel of less than 200 amps, SCE offers a Charge Ready rebate, up to $4,200 for a panel upgrade if you meet the utility’s income requirements. Additionally, customers living in disadvantaged communities who don’t meet the utility’s income requirements can qualify for up to $2,100. Learn more on our SCE EV Incentives blog.
Heat Pumps & Heat Pump Water Heaters
The 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit also applies to heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. A 30% federal tax credit is available (capped at $2,000 dollars). Eligible technologies must meet certain energy efficiency requirements.
Alameda Municipal Power offers rebates up to $1,500 for new heat pump HVAC systems installed by ratepayers in their service territory in California.
Solar Panels
The 25D Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit also provides a 30% federal tax credit on the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar panel systems.
Why Qmerit is the #1 EV Charger Installer in California
With the savings available from state of California EV rebates and EV charging incentives, alongside the rapidly growing rate of EV adoption and public EV charging infrastructure, there’s never been a better time to make the switch to electrification.
The cost savings created by adopting clean, sustainable energy are just the start of the benefits you’ll see, and by partnering with a qualified electrician who can tailor an EV charger installation to your specific needs, you can maximize these benefits even more.
As North America’s most trusted and largest network of certified EV charger installers, Qmerit is recommended by automakers, EV charger manufacturers, utilities, businesses, and homeowners alike. Rated #1 in customer satisfaction, our expert network has installed over 770,000 EV charging stations across the U.S. and Canada.
Discover how Qmerit is paving the way forward for residential EV charger installation and whole-home electrification solutions. Contact us today to find out how easy home electrification can be!