Charged Up
Here’s how much cash you could get back for buying an electric car in Texas
Have you been thinking about buying an electric car? This may get you more energized: State legislators have resurrected a rebate program to encourage Texans to purchase electric cars.
During the just-completed state legislative session, lawmakers revived the Texas Emissions Reduction Program, which includes a $2,500 rebate for buying an electric car. Coupled with a federal tax credit of up to $7,500, the rebate makes an electric car more affordable compared with a traditional gas-powered car.
“Electric vehicles are creating real benefits for Texas, cleaning the air and helping our climate,” says Luke Metzger, director of Environment Texas, an environmental advocacy group. “These rebates will help put more Texans behind the wheel of these clean cars.”
Legislators created the rebate program in 2013 but failed to reauthorize it during their next session in 2015. The rebates are set to return during state government’s 2018-19 budget period, according to Environment Texas. The legislation caps the number of cars that can qualify for the rebates at 2,000.
From 2011 through 2016, nearly 16,300 electric cars were sold in Texas, according to CleanTechnica.
