Ditching gas just got more affordable for low-income EV buyers in California
California has added a new $2,000 incentive for low- and moderate-income EV buyers, bringing the total state incentives to $9,500.
On top of the federal $7,500 EV tax credit and potential local or regional credits, this means some new EV buyers can get $17,000 or more back on the purchase of a new EV.
The new incentive comes in the form of an “EV Charge Card.” The charge card will be loaded with $2,000 worth of funds which can only be used at public charging stations.
One issue for lower-income EV buyers, especially in California, is that housing is quite expensive, which means some may not have access to their own parking spots. While California does have “right to charge” laws, which make it easier for renters to install charging and require new developments to have EV charging, there can still be difficulties for short-term renters and those who live in places that park on the street (e.g., many beach communities).
This means these groups are more likely to rely on public charging, so to meet that need, California’s new program gives $2,000 in free charging to this income group.
The charge card will be mailed out to rebate applicants that qualify for the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project’s (CVRP) “increased rebate” for lower-income households. Buyers of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids will get the charge card, but fuel cell vehicles won’t.
The “increased rebate” is $7,500 for BEVs and $6,500 for PHEVs, and it applies to any household with income less than or equal to 400% of the federal poverty line. In 2023, this means an income of under $58,320 for an individual or $120k for a family of four. But this is household income, not individual income, so dual-income families will need to account for both.
Higher-income EV buyers will still have access to California’s typical $2,000 EV rebate but won’t get the charge card and don’t qualify for the increased rebate.
Between the new charge card, the increased rebate, and the federal EV tax credit, this means that some buyers in a narrow income range could potentially qualify for $17,000 in incentives on the purchase of a new EV.
Better yet, some cities, utilities, and regions have additional incentives available. For example, the San Joaquin Valley Air District offers a $3,000 incentive, Central Coast Community Energy offers $2,000-$4,000, and so on.
CVRP has created a “savings calculator” where you can input information about your household, and it will help you find various incentives available to you.
For buyers who happen to live in the right location and have the right income level, it could be possible to get over $20k worth of incentives on the purchase of a new EV. We recently ran a story on how one person supposedly got a new Tesla Model 3 for under $14k.
And there are even cheaper EVs than that. Electrek’s vehicle of the year, the Chevy Bolt EV – which is already a screaming deal at a base MSRP of $26,500 – could be an even more phenomenal deal for anyone who manages to qualify for California’s increased rebate and the federal tax credit.
And while the Chevy Bolt will go out of production at the end of this year, some other budget EVs will remain, like the Nissan Leaf, which is still under $30k.
However, the federal tax credit isn’t refundable, meaning you need to have enough total federal tax liability to take advantage of it (for a single filer, a tax burden of $7,500 correlates with ~$54k in taxable income). This means lower-income buyers may only be able to take advantage of part of the federal tax credit rather than all of it.
This could change next year when the federal tax credit becomes available upfront at the point of sale. Also, low-income EV buyers can take advantage of the full federal tax credit now by leasing an EV because the credit is then taken by the lessor, which can be passed on via lower lease payments.
In the case of a lease, the CVRP rebate is still available as long as the lease is at least 30 months. You still have to pay the down payment, but you’ll get a check from California a few weeks later. (In the past, we’ve seen lease down payments set such that you would see “zero down payment” after the rebate check comes in.)
For other questions about eligibility, see CVRP’s FAQ here. And have a look at the savings calculator mentioned above to find other potential rebates. And if you’re looking for the best deal in EVs right now, you can use our link to search your local dealers for a Chevy Bolt (or a Nissan Leaf).
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BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
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If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
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