Electric Vehicles

Drive on Clean, Renewable Electricity

Replacing your gas guzzler with an Electric Vehicle (EV) will save you money and help fight climate change.

More than 60% of San José’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. SJCE is committed to getting more San Joseans in EVs to help reduce air pollution and preserve our planet for future generations.

BENEFITS

Save money! EVs have lower fueling and lifetime maintenance costs, including battery replacement. Electricity costs less than $2 for the equivalent gallon of gasoline.
Drive past traffic! Reduce your commute times with access to carpool lanes using a Clean Air Vehicle decal. Low-income drivers who buy used EVs are now also eligible to receive the decals.
Easy parking! Park for free at all City of San José parking meters and select ParkSJ garages.
Easy charging! Access over 500 public charging stations and over 50 City charging stations, especially in downtown garages.
Good for your health, good for the climate! With no tailpipe emissions, EVs bring cleaner air to your neighborhood.
A fun ride! EVs generally have faster acceleration and lower noise.

REBATES & INCENTIVES

For an easy way to see which incentives you qualify for and whether the incentives can be stacked, check out the Shop & Compare tool below.

$800-$1,500

California Clean Fuel Reward

Available for Used EVs? No

Available for Leases? Yes

Pro tip: Point of sale incentive funded by the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program. Must use a participating retailer.

Learn More

$1,000-$4,500

Clean Vehicle Rebate Project

Available for Used EVs? No

Available for Leases? Yes

Pro tip: Funding for standard and increased rebates was exhausted on 4/23/21. Waitlist is in effect.

Apply

$2,500-$7,500

Federal Tax Credit

Available for Used EVs? No

Available for Leases? No

Pro tip: Credit amount varies depending on vehicle model/make, battery capacity, and tax liability.

Learn More

Additional Incentives for Income-Qualified Households

$5,500-$9,500

Clean Cars for All

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Available for Leases? Yes

Participating dealerships

Pro tip: Grant provided at time of purchase. Must replace an older vehicle. Can be combined with Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.

Apply

$4,500-$5,000

Clean Vehicle Assistance Program

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Available for Leases? Yes

Participating dealerships

Pro tip: Grant provided at time of purchase. Maximum household income must be 400% of Federal Poverty level.

Apply

Up to $5,000

Drive Clean Assistance Program

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Available for Leases? Yes

Participating dealerships

Pro tip: Grant provided at time of purchase. Maximum household income must be 400% of Federal Poverty level.

Apply

Financing for Income-Qualified Households

Interest Rate: 8%

CVAP Beneficial State Foundation

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Max Loan Amount: None

Pro tip: Must contribute at least $1,000 to vehicle purchase through down payment or loan payment.

Apply

Interest Rate: 8%

Driving Clean Assistance Program

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Max Loan Amount: $20,000

Pro tip: Program counsels customers from initial application through purchase of the car.

Apply

Example EV Purchase Prices After Discounts and Incentives

ELECTRIC RATES

EV drivers can get special electricity rates that incentivize charging during off-peak hours, like at night when you are sleeping, until 3:00 p.m.

SJCE offers the same EV rate options as PG&E, but with more renewable energy at competitive rates. So with SJCE, you’ll drive on cleaner electricity and support local clean energy programs.

How to Enroll

Customers enroll for an EV rate through PG&E, and PG&E transmits that information to SJCE.

New EV-2 Rate

As of July 2019, PG&E and SJCE have discontinued EV-A and opened EV-2.

In November 2019, all EV-A customers were moved to EV-2, except solar net energy metering customers eligible for grandfathered treatment who can refuse transition to EV-2.
EV-2 “peak hours” (when rates are highest) are from 4:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

SHOP & COMPARE

Ready to compare vehicles and find your incentives and cost savings? Our friends at Silicon Valley Clean Energy have developed an EV Assistant tool – check it out!

With the tool, you’ll be able to identify cost savings for fuel, maintenance, and lifetime ownership. You’ll also be able to find personal incentives based off your information and find out which incentives are stackable.

CHARGING INCENTIVES

San José leads the nation in public charging stations per capita. Find your nearest charging station at PlugShare.

Incentives for Public Charging

California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP)

Make electric vehicle charging accessible for all. Save on Level 2 and DC fast charger purchase and installation costs with rebates for businesses, apartment communities, and more.

DC Fast Charger

DCFC POWER LEVEL	GENERAL MARKET REBATE	DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY/ LOW-INCOME REBATE
50 kW – 99.99 kW	Up to $50,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less	Up to $60,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less
100 kW+	Up to $70,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less	Up to $80,000; or 75% of the total project cost, whichever is less

Level 2 Charger

ELIGIBLE REBATES FOR LEVEL 2 CHARGERS	AMOUNT PER CONNECTOR
Base rebate	Up to $4,500 per connector; or 75% of project costs, whichever is less
Disadvantaged Community (DAC) OR Low-Income Community (LIC)	Additional $500
Multi-Unit Dwelling (MUD) Site	Additional $1,000

Attract more business with an electric vehicle charger. San José Clean Energy has partnered with the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) to provide rebates for electric vehicle (EV) charger purchase and installation costs.

With this affordable EV charging opportunity you can:

Boost property value
Attract more customers
Increase customer dwell time by up to 50%
Provide a green amenity to employees, tenants, and clients
Meet sustainability goals

Learn more about the Peninsula-Silicon Valley Incentive Project and apply for rebates

Many businesses can qualify. Owners, managers, and authorized agents of many property types can qualify for rebates.

Multi-family properties
Government-owned properties
Higher education and K-12 school districts
Businesses and commercial properties
Non-profits

Free technical assistance to help plan and install EV charging projects for businesses, multi-family residences and local government facilities in San José is also available.

The CALeVIP team will even help you get ready to apply for rebates available now in San José.

Learn more about this opportunity and request free technical assistance.

The Peninsula-Silicon Valley Incentive Project is presented in partnership with the California Energy Commission.

Incentives for Homeowners

Clean Cars for All: Receive a rebate of $2,000 when you purchase a BEV through the Clean Cars for All program.
Clean Vehicle Assistance Program: If you purchase a battery or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle through the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program grant, you are eligible to receive a free Level 2 charging station installed in your home or a $1,000 pre-paid charge card valid at public EVGO charging stations plus a lower-speed portable charger.
Federal Tax Credit: If you installed, or plan to install, an EV home charger between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2021, you can take 30% off the cost of purchasing and installing the charger (up to $1,000) by claiming a federal tax credit.

Types of Chargers

AC Level One

Charge Time: 3-5 miles per hour

Installation: none required; use a standard, properly grounded 3-prong outlet

Voltage: 120V 1-Phase AC

Charging Loads: 1.4 to 1.9 kW

AC Level Two

Charge Time: 10-40 miles per hour

Installation: hire an electrician to install; same type of plug that your dryer uses

Voltage: 208V or 240V 1-Phase AC

Charging Loads: 2.5 to 19.2 kW (typically 7 kW)

DC Fast Charging

Charge Time: 80% charge in 20-30 minutes

Installation: found in public places; not installed in homes

Voltage: 208V or 480V 3-phase AC

Charging Loads: <350 kW

Permits

A permit from the City of San José is needed to install a Level 2 charging station in a single-family home. Note: only Level 2 chargers require a permit. Learn more about permitting.

EV Fleets

Save money by electrifying your fleet! Find a list of a wide range of current light to heavy-duty vehicles models available, vehicle incentives, rebates to install charging infrastructure, and tools to measure potential cost savings.

Vehicle Rebates and Incentives

Medium to Heavy-Duty Vehicles

California Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP): Funded by the California Air Resources Board, HVIP works directly with dealers to apply the voucher incentive at the time of purchase.
BAAQMD Carl Moyer Program: Funded by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Carl Moyer Program (CMP) offers more than $40 million for projects to upgrade or replace on-road vehicles, school buses, off-road and agricultural equipment, marine equipment, and locomotives.

Light-Duty Vehicles

California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project: Rebates for light-duty public, car rental and sharing, and businesses and non-profit fleet vehicles.

General Incentives

PG&E Grants and Incentives list: Incentives available through Federal, State, Regional and Utility entities.

Vehicle Model Availability

U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Search tool: Search for light to heavy-duty electric vehicles by vehicle type.
California HVIP Eligible Vehicle Catalog: Extensive list of medium and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles that qualify for the HVIP incentive.

Charging Infrastructure

Medium to Heavy-Duty Vehicles

PG&E EV Fleet: Comprehensive program for charging infrastructure that encompasses incentives and rebates, site design and permitting, construction and activation, maintenance and upgrades. (SJCE customers are eligible).

Light-Duty Vehicles

CALeVIP Peninsula-Silicon Valley Incentive Project: SJCE partnership with the California Energy Commission to offer light-duty fleet vehicles rebates on Level 2 chargers.

Cost Analysis Tools

Fuel Savings

PG&E Fuel Savings tool: Fuel savings by light to heavy-duty vehicle model, including Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) benefits.

Total Cost of Ownership

AFLEET Tool: DOE-funded tool provides simple payment metric to compare light to heavy duty alternative fuel vehicles to gas or diesel vehicles.

Electric Vehicles

Drive on Clean, Renewable Electricity

BENEFITS

REBATES & INCENTIVES

$800-$1,500

$1,000-$4,500

$2,500-$7,500

Additional Incentives for Income-Qualified Households

$5,500-$9,500

$4,500-$5,000

Up to $5,000

Financing for Income-Qualified Households

Interest Rate: 8%

Interest Rate: 8%

Example EV Purchase Prices After Discounts and Incentives

ELECTRIC RATES

How to Enroll

New EV-2 Rate

SHOP & COMPARE

CHARGING INCENTIVES

Incentives for Public Charging

California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP)

Incentives for Homeowners

Types of Chargers

AC Level One

AC Level Two

DC Fast Charging

Permits

EV Fleets

Vehicle Rebates and Incentives

Medium to Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Light-Duty Vehicles

General Incentives

Vehicle Model Availability

Charging Infrastructure

Medium to Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Light-Duty Vehicles

Cost Analysis Tools

Fuel Savings

Total Cost of Ownership

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