Incentives from the State or utility companies for electric vehicles are nothing new, but the program from the City of Santa Barbara is both new and somewhat unique.
"The City of Santa Barbara is unique in that we offer our own electrical provider called Santa Barbara Clean Energy, and that basically provides carbon free electricity for all the residents of Santa Barbara. So in a sense, this is sort of similar to a utility incentive program," explained Jefferson Litten, the Energy and Climate manager for the City of Santa Barbara.
EV rebates of $1000 are available for qualifying residents, and those enrolled in the CARE program are eligible for twice that.
"The vehicle must be purchased after November 15th, 2023. That was the date that the program launched, and the vehicle must have an MSRP of less than $80,000," said Litten.
City of Santa Barbara residents interested in this rebate can learn more at SBCleanEnergy.com or by calling (805) 538-1810.