Electric Vehicles

Drive on Clean, Renewable Electricity

More than 60% of San José’s greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. SJCE is committed to getting more San Joseans in electric vehicles (EVs) to help reduce air pollution and to 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.

$7,500

Federal Tax Credit

Available for Used EVs? No

Available for Leases? No

Pro tip: Rebate provided after purchase. Cannot be combined with Clean Vehicle Assistance Program.

Learn More

$2,000

Clean Vehicle Rebate Project

Available for Used EVs? No

Available for Leases? Yes

Pro tip: State program. Rebate provided after purchase. Can be combined with Clean Vehicle Assistance Program.

Apply

$800

Clean Fuel Rebate

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Available for Leases? Yes

Pro tip: PG&E rebate (funded by the State of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program) provided after purchase.

Apply

Additional Incentives for Low-income Households

$9,500

Clean Cars for All

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Available for Leases? Yes

Pro tip: Must replace vehicle from 2004 or older. Can be combined with Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.

Apply

$5,000

Clean Vehicle Assistance Program

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Available for Leases? Yes

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

Apply

Financing for Low-Income Households

Interest Rate: 8%

CHDC Transportation Program

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Down Payment Assistance: $5,000

Max Loan Amount: $15,000

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

Apply

Interest Rate: 8%

CVAP Beneficial State Foundation

Available for Used EVs? Yes

Down Payment Assistance: $0

Max Loan Amount: None

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

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 1% lower rates and more renewable energy. So with SJCE, you’ll drive on cleaner electricity and save even more.

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 1, 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? Go explore using PG&E’s EV savings calculator tool.

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.

EV CHARGING

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

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

Rebates and Incentives for Purchasing a Charger

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.
Tax Credit: If you installed, or plan to install, an EV home charger between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2020, you can take 30% off the cost of purchasing and installing the charger (up to $1000) by claiming a federal tax credit.

For Property Managers, Businesses, and Non-profits

California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP): SJCE is partnering with the California Energy Commission (CEC) to fund an incentive project for the installation of DC fast charging and Level 2 ports in public, workplace, and multi-family housing locations. The CEC currently proposes to allocate $10 million for San José, with SJCE matching $4 million, for a total of up to $14 million to be disbursed over the next two to four years.
The incentive project will launch in fall 2020. Businesses, non-profits, and public agencies would apply for the funding, install the charging station(s), and then receive a rebate for a portion of the costs according to project guidelines. Learn more and check back in summer 2020 for updates.
Fleet Ready: Receive support to install charging infrastructure for fleet vehicles.

Permits

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

Electric Vehicles

Drive on Clean, Renewable Electricity

BENEFITS

REBATES & INCENTIVES

$7,500

$2,000

$800

Additional Incentives for Low-income Households

$9,500

$5,000

Financing for Low-Income 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

EV CHARGING

AC Level One

AC Level Two

DC Fast Charging

Rebates and Incentives for Purchasing a Charger

For Homeowners

For Property Managers, Businesses, and Non-profits

Permits

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