Thousands of auto dealers sign up to offer new on-the-spot tax credit
New year, new rules: As of January 1, things are about to get a little easier when it comes to getting your federal tax credit for buying an electric vehicle. Now the rebate – which is up to $7,500 for new EVs that qualify, and up to $4,000 for used EVs that qualify – is available immediately when you purchase your car, rather than needing to wait potentially months to file a claim with your tax return. And auto dealers are signing up in droves with the IRS.
To help gear up for the insta-credit program, more than 7,000 car dealers have signed up with the Internal Revenue Service to ensure they can offer the point-of-sale rebate to EV buyers starting January 1 – that accounts for nearly half of all new car dealerships in the US, reports Automotive News.
On paper at least, EV buyers pay a reduced fee upfront, while the dealer handles the paperwork with the IRS, and then the EV buyer happily gets behind the wheel and drives away.
Of course, the number of vehicles that qualify for the full rebate, or any rebate, will shrink starting January 1 as well, as President Biden’s new restrictions on electric vehicles and battery sourcing will kick in. To qualify at all, vehicles have to be manufactured in North America with an MSRP under $80,000 for an SUV and $55,000 for a standard or smaller car.
Vehicles can qualify a federal tax credit of $3,750 if automakers adhere to specific guidelines on sourcing battery materials. To get the rebate, 40% of the value of critical minerals used in the battery need to be extracted or processed in the US, or in a country that is a US free trade agreement partner, or they must have been made from recycled materials in North America. Also, a vehicle will qualify for an additional $3,750 if 50% of the value of critical battery components are manufactured or assembled in North America. Those percentages will go up every year until the credit expires in 2032. Additionally, all EVs that contain any battery components from a foreign entity of concern (as in China) will be excluded in 2024, and that rule applies to battery minerals as of 2025.
We’ll get the final word on exactly which vehicles are eligible in January, according to the report. Still, the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Bolt, Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, Jeep Wrangler 4×3, Rivian R1S and R1T, and maybe the Volkswagen ID.4 are likely to still be eligible for a $7,500 credit in 2024. Tesla’s Long Range and RWD Model 3 variants will no longer qualify, nor will Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Blazer EV, or the Cadillac Lyriq.
Electrek’s Take
Automobile dealers have, of course, been highly vocal opponents of the transition to electric vehicles, for a host of financially driven reasons, some of them of course justified if you didn’t care at all about carbon emissions. EVs require less maintenance, meaning a cut in after-sales profits, and staff needs to be educated on how to chat up customers about batteries and range, charging infrastructure needs to be installed, etc. Last month, nearly 4,000 car dealerships in the US wrote a letter to President Biden pleading that the government put the brakes on its adoption of EVs, saying customers aren’t interested in buying them and that electric vehicles are piling up on their lots – which left out the detail that new vehicles of all types are piling up as well. So yeah, opposition has been fierce. But maybe this new strategy will shake things up and give dealers a morale boost. It’s an easy incentive for customers to choose an electric vehicle, and this could help more some inventory around to free up space for new vehicles.
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Greenlane, which provides public charging infrastructure for electric trucks, just rolled out a new dealer program called “Charge On Us,” which offers $500 in charging credits and six months of free Greenlane Edge subscription access with every qualifying electric truck purchase. The offer applies across light-, medium-, and heavy-duty models. Velocity Truck Centers, one of North America’s largest commercial truck dealers with 65 locations across the US, is the first partner to sign on.
Scott Zeppenfeldt, COO of Velocity, said charging is the biggest unknown for customers considering the switch. “Where to charge, how to support it, and how to pay for it all” often stops fleets from moving forward, he explained. “Greenlane’s ‘Charge On Us’ program removes those hurdles by letting our customers rely on public infrastructure instead of investing time and money in their own charging setup. We’re excited to run pilot programs out of their flagship Colton facility and utilize other sites on their network. This gives us a real-world proving ground to show customers how straightforward electric can be when the charging piece is handled.”
For dealers, the program comes with sales support, marketing resources, and customer service, plus access to Greenlane’s growing public charging network. Dealers also get subscriptions to the network, which makes it easier to run pilots at Greenlane facilities and test the experience with customers. The Greenlane Edge subscription unlocks discounted charging rates, advanced reservation tools, and billing software that can lower the total cost of ownership and streamline freight operations. Fleets also gain access to real-time charging data, route planning support, and consolidated billing.
“As more heavy-duty fleets shift to electric, we need to address the real concerns holding them back: where to charge, cost, and how to deploy charging infrastructure day one,” said Patrick Macdonald-King, CEO of Greenlane. “Our program tackles these issues by providing immediate charging credits, access to high-speed chargers, and our technology ecosystem that delivers a seamless charging solution. Partnering with Velocity helps us scale that impact and make electrification easier for more companies by lowering the cost of entry and complexity of procuring power and deploying infrastructure.”
Greenlane opened its flagship charging center in Colton, California, in April. The site features over 40 high-speed chargers, including 12 pull-through and 29 bobtail lanes built for medium- and heavy-duty EVs. It also offers driver-friendly amenities like restrooms, wifi, carports, and 24/7 security, plus extras such as office space and parking. The Colton facility sits at the junction of I-215 and I-10 and anchors Greenlane’s I-15 charging corridor linking Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It’s also part of the I-10 corridor, with new sites on the way in Blythe, California, and Greater Phoenix.
Read more: Greenlane launches a second long-haul EV truck corridor pilot
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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The Jeep Gladiator 4xe is dead before arrival. Jeep’s plug-in pickup was expected to arrive as a sibling to the Wrangler PHEV, but that will no longer be the case.
Why did Jeep cancel the Gladiator 4xe?
Jeep’s plug-in hybrid pickup was set to arrive this year. As a midsize pickup and one of the best-selling Jeep vehicles in the US, the Gladiator is a perfect fit for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system, right?
It seemed like it, but Jeep maker Stellantis disagrees. According to a report from Automotive News, Stellantis told its suppliers that it’s no longer planning to launch the Gladiator 4xe.
The Gladiator PHEV is the latest vehicle that Stellantis has canceled as it reassesses its product lineup in the US.
A company spokesperson confirmed the decision with Car and Driver, saying, “As customers’ propulsion preferences for battery-electric trucks continue to evolve, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will no longer include an electrified Gladiator variant in the Jeep lineup.”
The spokesperson added that Jeep has “already begun reinvesting funding to ensure the long-term growth of the Jeep Gladiator and will introduce even more customer-requested factory features, customization, and additional powertrain options in the near future.”
Does that mean an “electrified” option is still in the pipeline? It could. Earlier this month, Stellantis canceled Ram’s all-electric pickup, the Ram 1500 REV. It also dropped the base R/T trim from the Dodge Charger EV.
The Ramcharger, a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV), will instead take its spot and name (Ram 1500 REV). With the plug-in hybrid Gladiator 4xe canceled, Jeep’s Gladiator could be next in line for an REEV powertrain option.
Until then, Jeep still offers plug-in hybrid Wrangler and Grand Cherokee models, which were the top two best-selling PHEVs in the US in the first half of 2025.
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XCharge North America (NA) and Ascentium Capital have launched a new leasing program to help small-business owners host DC fast chargers without having to front huge amounts of cash or rely on government incentives.
Businesses can lease XCharge NA’s DC fast chargers – up to 400kW – for an affordable monthly rate. That way, they can tap into the US public DC fast-charging market, which is expected to grow at a 14% compound annual rate through 2040 and generate $3.3 billion in annual market value, without paying steep upfront costs. Unlike charging-as-a-service models, where operators earn a percentage of the revenue, lessees in this program can earn the full charging revenue.
The program is modeled after a financing structure used in the auto industry. It bundles installation, equipment, warranties, and maintenance into a single package to simplify things for business owners. XCharge NA says its GridLink and C6 chargers can also be installed faster than typical fast chargers, and the equipment can be moved to different sites if needed. Because the chargers integrate with existing infrastructure, businesses don’t need to worry about major grid upgrades or transformer installations.
“At our core, XCharge NA has always been focused on making EV charging more accessible for businesses of all sizes – from high-traffic airports to small-business owners,” said Aatish Patel, co-founder and president of XCharge NA. “Our new financing model was designed to mitigate risk for individuals looking to get into EV charging without significant upfront [capital expenditure].”
Patel added that working with Ascentium brought the financial expertise needed to make the program possible. Stephen Interlicchio, senior vice president of strategic services for Ascentium, said, “This type of flexible capital option is exactly what the industry needs now, especially to empower small businesses and real estate owners that don’t have the ability to pay significant costs up front but are committed to participating in the EV transition.”
Leasing a C6 EV charger (pictured) starts at $800 a month. You can learn more here.
Read more: Texas trailblazes with DC fast chargers with integrated battery storage
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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