Tesla Model Y, 3 eligible for $2,000 California rebate after price drops
The Tesla Model Y and Model 3, California’s #1 and #2 best-selling vehicles, are once again eligible for California’s $2,000 electric car rebate after steep price drops last month which bring them back under the MSRP cap for eligibility.
California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program has issued over a billion dollars in total rebates since the inception of the program. The money comes from the California Air Resources Board which gets much of its funding from California’s cap-and-trade program.
It has been modified multiple times to add criteria, one of which is a limitation on the purchase price of the vehicle.
Currently, that limitation stands at a base MSRP of $45,000 for cars and $60,000 for “large vehicles” (SUVs, minivans and pickups).
Tesla vehicles previously qualified for rebates under this program, but between continuous price hikes over the past couple years and new MSRP limitations on California’s rebate program, they had been ineligible since March 15, 2022 when Tesla raised MSRP beyond the price caps.
We checked two weeks ago and they were still not included on the site, even after last month’s price drops, as Tesla had not yet re-applied for eligibility for the program.
However, it looks like Tesla applied and was accepted now, as California has now updated the CVRP website to officially add Tesla’s best-selling offerings (and the two best-selling cars in California) back into eligibility for the program after last month’s price drops.
This change is somewhat retroactive, as well. The CVRP website has a topic specifically about the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, stating that vehicles ordered on or after January 12 (the day of the price drops) can still apply for a rebate within 90 days of registering the vehicle. So if that’s you, then don’t wait – the clock starts from your registration date, not from today.
The standard rebate for both vehicles is $2,000, though every vehicle can also qualify for an “increased rebate” for lower-income buyers, defined as 400% of the federal poverty level. For those buyers, the current total rebate is $4,500, though that is separately slated to raise to $7,500 on February 28.
Other limitations apply, such as an income limit of $135,000 for single filers and $200,000 for joint filers. So low-income buyers get increased rebates, and high-income buyers get no rebate at all. CARB hosts an FAQ about the program if you have any other questions.
The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y both currently qualify for the full federal EV tax credit after recent price drops and a change in IRS guidance which raised that credit’s MSRP cap to $80,000 for the Model Y.
Electrek’s Take
Some may question whether the government needs to be subsidizing the price of two cars which are already the best-selling ones in the state. But these rebates aren’t specific to Tesla, they’re for all EVs, and the program has obviously been effective, given that California is the top EV market in the nation and continues to lead the country in adoption and is one of the largest EV markets in the world.
And the subsidy isn’t from “taxpayers,” but rather largely from California’s cap-and-trade fund, which punishes polluting companies by forcing them to pay penalties when they go over their allocated amount of emissions per year. This fund has been effective at reducing emissions in California, though the state could go further.
And, frankly, nobody ever questions the massive subsidies which California’s former best-selling vehicles still get. The IMF estimates that, globally, dirty energy gets $5.3 trillion in subsidies every year. Studies have shown that each gallon of gasoline benefits from around $3.80 in displaced costs, in the form of increased health costs and environmental damage that all of us have to pay for.
So, lets look at the previous best-selling car in California, the Toyota Camry, and see how much subsidy it would get over its lifetime.
If a Camry lasts 200,000 miles – perhaps a high estimate, but it’s known as a reliable car, so let’s go with it – then that means it will consume 6,250 gallons of gasoline, with its 32mpg combined EPA rating.
So multiply that 6,250 gallons by the $3.80 in displaced health and environmental costs per gallon, and you have $23,750 in subsidy over the lifetime of that vehicle. But that subsidy isn’t being paid by the polluters themselves, via a cap-and-trade fund like the EV incentive is, it’s being paid by your lungs. It’s making your life worse, making you spend more time in the hospital, making you less productive, making your health insurance premiums higher, making your environment less beautiful and able to support human and animal life.
Meanwhile, EVs are doing the opposite of that, and are making California healthier, as a new and completely unsurprising study shows.
So yes, I do think it is more than justifiable to take money out of the pockets of polluters and put it into the hands of buyers who are making a cleaner choice, even if that choice is already a popular one.
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Environment
EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member’s Festival
Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.
EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:
Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.
To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.
EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”
Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.
This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:
In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.
In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.
To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.
Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival
As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.
As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.
Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!
Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.
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Tesla is losing another top talent: its long-time head of software, David Lau, has reportedly told co-workers that he is exiting the automaker.
Tesla changed how the entire auto industry looks at software.
Before Tesla, it was an afterthought; user interfaces were rudimentary, and you had to go to a dealership to get a software update on your systems.
When Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, it all changed. Your car would get better through software updates like your phone, the large center display was responsive with a UI that actually made sense and was closer to an iPad experience than a car.
Tesla also integrated its software into its retail experience, service, and manufacturing.
David Lau deserves a lot of the credit for that.
He joined Tesla in 2012 as a senior manager of firmware engineering and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2014, he was promoted to director of firmware engineering and system integration, and in 2017, he became Vice President of software.
Lau listed the responsibilities of his team on his LinkedIn:
- Vehicle Software:
- Firmware for the powertrain, traction/stability control, HV electronics, battery management, and body control systems
- UI software and underlying Embedded Linux platforms
- Navigation and routing
- iOS and Android Mobile apps
- Distributed Systems:
- Server-side software and infrastructure that provides telemetry, diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and configuration/lifecycle management
- Data engineering and analytics platforms that power technical and business insights for an increasingly diverse set of customers across the company
- Diagnostic tools and fleet management, Manufacturing and Automation:
- Automation controls (PLC, robot)
- Server-side manufacturing execution systems that power all of Tesla’s production operations
- Product Security and Red Team for software, services, and systems across Tesla
Bloomberg reported today that Lau told his team he is leaving Tesla. The report didn’t include reasons for his stepping down.
Electrek’s Take
Twelve years at any company is a great run. At Tesla, it’s heroic. Congrats, David, on a great run. You undoubtedly had a significant impact on Tesla and software advancements in the broader auto industry.
He is another significant loss for Tesla, which has been losing a lot of top talent following a big wave of layoffs around this time last year.
I wonder who will take over. Michael Rizkalla, senior director of software engineering and vehicle firmware, is one of the most senior software engineers after Lau. He has been at Tesla for 7 years, and Tesla likes to promote within rather than hire outsiders.
There are also a lot of senior software execs working on AI at Tesla. Musk has been favoring them lately and he could fold Lau’s responsibilities under them.
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Kia’s electric SUVs are taking over. The EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK this year, giving Kia its strongest sales start since it arrived 34 years ago. And it’s not just in the UK. Kia just had its best first quarter globally since it started selling cars in 1962.
Kia EV3 is the best-selling EV in the UK through March
In March, Kia sold a record nearly 20,000 vehicles in the UK, making it the fourth best-selling brand. It was also the second top-seller of electrified vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs), accounting for over 55% of sales.
The EV3 remained the best-selling retail EV in the UK last month. Including the EV6, three-row EV9, and Niro EV, electric vehicles represented 21% of Kia’s UK sales in March.
Kia said the EV3 “started with a bang” in January, darting out as the UK’s most popular EV in retail sales. Through March, Kia’s electric SUV has held on to the crown. With the EV3 rolling out, Kia sold over 7,000 electric cars through March, nearly 50% more than in Q1 2024.
The EV3 was the best-selling retail EV in the UK in the first quarter and the fourth best-selling EV overall, including commercial vehicles.
Starting at £33,005 ($42,500), Kia said it’s the “brand’s most affordable EV yet.” It’s available with two battery packs, 58.3 kWh or 81.48 kWh, good for 430 km (270 miles) and 599 km (375 miles) of WLTP range, respectively.
With new EVs on the way, this could be just the start. Kia is launching several new EVs in the UK this year, including the EV4 sedan (and hatchback) and EV5 SUV. It also confirmed that the first PV5 electric vans will be delivered to customers by the end of the year.
Electrek’s Take
Globally, Kia sold a record 772,351 vehicles in the first quarter, its best since it started selling cars in 1962. With the new EV4, the brand’s first electric sedan and hatchback, launching this year, Kia looks to build on its momentum in 2025.
Kia has also made it very clear that it wants to be a global leader in the electric van market with its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business, starting with the PV5 later this year.
Earlier today, we learned Kia’s midsize electric SUV, the EV5, is the fourth best-selling EV in Australia through March, outselling every BYD vehicle (at least for now). The EV5 is rolling out to new markets this year, including Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Mexico. However, it will not arrive in the US.
For those in the US, there are still a few Kia EVs to look forward to. Kia is launching the EV4 globally, including in the US, later this year. Although no date has been set, Kia confirmed the EV3 is also coming. It’s expected to arrive in mid-2026.
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