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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Velotric has continued to regularly update its popular e-bike models, with the latest launch today bringing us the Nomad 2. This fat tire adventure bike carries a host of new features and components, offering a powerful yet comfortable ride on both city streets and off-road trails.
The Velotric Nomad 2 sports a 750W nominally-rated motor with a true 90 Nm of torque. In other words, it’s designed to eat hills for breakfast and lay down some real power when riders need it most. And with both throttle-activated control and 15 levels of responsive pedal assist, that power can be dialed in to the right level for each rider’s own taste. And with a maximum speed of 28 mph, the bike is fast enough to keep up with traffic… when riders aren’t enjoying a relaxing trail ride.
Speaking of pedal assist, Velotric offers what they call SensorSwap, a feature in the pedal assist system that uses both a cadence sensor and a torque sensor and allows riders to select which sensor is being used at any time. The former allows riders to pedal easily while still getting impressive power output from the motor, while the latter offers more intuitive riding that provides a more natural feeling akin to pedaling a bike with extra powerful legs.
Torque sensors are often considered superior for their more refined experience, but cadense sensors are still praised by riders who don’t want to put in the extra effort required by torque sensors. With a torque sensor, the rider’s pedaling effort is multiplied, but a cadense sensor lets riders feel like they’re pedaling without needing to actually provide as much of their own ‘oomph’.
The Nomad 2’s design includes off-road features such as 26×4.0″ tires, a 100mm travel hydraulic suspension fork, and an included parallel linkage suspension seat post.
Combined with the powerful motor that offers 1,000 lb of towing capacity (plus 505 lb of payload), the 75 lb e-bike is built to handle just about anything, and that includes nearly any trail.
“Sometimes the road less traveled is the better one,” says Adam Zhang, the CEO of Velotric. “Nomad 2 speaks to those who love the journey, and the occasional detour! Whether you’re climbing trails, hauling heavy loads, or simply cruising, our latest bike gives you the freedom to ride further, faster, and more comfortably than ever before.”
And since off-road adventures often don’t have clear-cut end times, the bike offers 65 miles of maximum range thanks to the 48V and 14.7 Ah battery with 705 Wh of capacity. That battery is UL-listed and IPX7 waterproof, meaning you can dunk it in water. I’ve done exactly that with Velotric batteries before and they’ve survived for many more rides.
Rounding out the feature list includes a 3.5″ color display, Bluetooth connectivity, USB-C phone charger, 500 lumen headlight, tail light with turn signals, included rear rack with fenders, hydraulic disc brakes, an 8-speed Shimano transmission, and more.
The Velotric Nomad 2 is priced at $1,999 and went on sale today.
Riders can snag it in two sizes with four color options, and with a choice between a high-step and a step-through frame style.
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A Tesla store in New York City has been taken over by people protesting Elon Musk – disrupting the operations.
As we have reported over the last few weeks, there’s a growing movement called “Tesla Takedown,” under which grassroots protests are being organized at Tesla stores around the world.
There have been many more protests this weekend. Some of them had truly impressive turnouts.
For example, hundreds of people showed up to protest at Tesla’s Tuscon location (via Andy Flach):
These protests have been peaceful and legal, but there have been a few exceptions.
At Tesla’s Manhattan store in New York City today, some protestors managed to get inside the store and it started to cause problems.
Here’s a video (via Oliya Scootercaster ):
About 300 people showed up to the protests. Most of them stayed protesting peacefully outside, but a handful of people got in and Tesla employees had to close the stores as more tried to get in.
The police confirmed having arrested 9 people, but the charges are not clear as of now.
In videos of the aftermath, it looks like a few glass doors and windows were broken.
Similar protests have been reported in most major cities in the US and they are planned for the next few weeks.
Electrek’s Take
This is getting bigger and still gaining momentum. I’m honestly surprised by the response. I thought it would last weekend with a few dozen people at a few stores and that’s it.
But it looks like now thousands of people are getting active and it’s becoming a real problem for Tesla.
Enough to get the board to act and remove Elon Musk? I doubt it. Elon has done plenty of fireable offenses and they haven’t even blinked – because they are all in Elon’s pockets.
I think the stock price is the only thing that can really get things moving.
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Electrifying your commercial fleet is a tricky thing. Sure, you want to cut your fuel costs. You want to reduce your operating variables. Heck you you even want to help corporate meet their ESG goals – but where do you start? MAN Trucks is here to help fleet managers get answers.
As more and more heavy trucking fleets begin to deploy electric assets, they’re proving that operators’ range anxiety may be a myth on most routes. That’s true enough here in North America, and truer still in Europe where distances between cities are condensed and trucks like the Mercedes eActros and Renault E-Tech T semi roam.
MAN Trucks are also a popular choice in Europe, and their leadership – unlike most in the industry – have been especially vocal in their criticism of hydrogen, and have fully embraced battery-electric vehicles. As such, it’s no wonder that the company took to LinkedIn to announce its MAN electric commercial vehicles consultation team.
“It’s Full Power here with the MAN electric commercial vehicles consultation team,” writes Roger Turnbull, Head of EV Truck Consultation at MAN Truck. “After another busy week of meetings presenting to haulage and transport organizations of all sizes across the UK – you can feel the EV interest and enthusiasm growing.”
MAN Trucks’ consultation team helps commercial fleet operators in Europe and the UK fully understand the needs of their fleet, analyzes their fuel and maintenance costs, and helps them get a better understanding of what fleet assets are prime candidates for electrification, and what sort of charging solutions might work best for their operations – and that doesn’t always mean on-site charging.
With the capacity for onsite charging now becoming a reality for many plus proof that operators range anxiety maybe a myth on most routes, our industry is already stepping up a gear to find out more.
ROGER TURNBULL, MAN TRUCKS
Off-site charging solutions like those offered by Voltera and Zeem here in the US seem to be somewhat less common in Europe, but the electric trucking infrastructure as-a-whole seems to be a step or two ahead. That, combined with generally higher fuel costs compared to the US, make it a bit easier for fleets to electrify. And MAN will help them see that.
The best part? MAN’s consultation is free, and requires no obligation to buy. “Your MAN EV Consultation Team in the UK offer free information, advice and support,” offers Turnbull. “[Everything] from the basics to multi-vehicle using multiple site locations. Factually checked and honest.”
You can’t do much better than free, right?
Electrek’s Take
Fleet assessments and fleet asset audits are crucial steps on the path to successful fleet electrification. These comprehensive evaluations provide fleet operators with valuable insights into their current fleet operations, energy consumption patterns, and infrastructure needs. By carefully analyzing this data, fleet managers can make informed decisions about which vehicles to prioritize for electrification while minimizing the potential for “surprises” once the trucks are delivered and the funds are tied up.
If you’re a fleet manager reading this, you should get a fleet energy analysis set up soon – whether you’re planning to electrify or not.
SOURCE | PHOTOS: MAN Trucks.
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