New York’s Electric Car Sales Have Surged 74% Since Launch Of Rebate Program

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Plug-in electric vehicle sales in New York State have surged 74% (year-on-year comparison) since the launch of the Drive Clean Rebate program there, a statement from the governor’s office has revealed.

Considering that the program only launched a couple of months ago — on March 21, 2017 — the rate at which people have begun to use the program, and thus the rate at which plug-in electric vehicle sales have increased, is pretty impressive.

That’s not too surprising, though, as the program offers up to $2,000 in rebates for the purchase of new plug-in electric vehicles from participating dealerships.

“The Drive Clean Rebate helps more and more New Yorkers join our fight against climate change by purchasing clean vehicles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” a statement from Governor Cuomo read. “As more affordable and accessible electric vehicles hit the markets, I encourage more New Yorkers to join our nation-leading efforts to build a cleaner, greener and more sustainable New York for all.”

Here’s an overview of the sales bump provided by the new rebate program:

Time Period

2016

2017

Percent Change

Jan – March

1,133

1,635

44%

April – June

1,476

2,574

74%

Total EVs sold

2,609

4,209

61%

And here’s a breakdown of rebate applications by region:

Long Island

779

33%

Mid-Hudson

404

17.3%

Capital District

276

12%

Finger Lakes

251

11%

New York City

197

8.4%

Western NY

167

7.1%

Central NY

87

3.7%

Southern Tier

74

3.2%

Mohawk Valley

60

2.5%

North Country

37

1.5%

Altogether, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has now approved more than 2,300 rebate applications since the launch of the program a bit over 5 months ago. This relates to over $3 million in rebate funds that have been paid out.

Interestingly, the top car models for rebates have been: the Toyota Prius Prime (40%); the Chevrolet Bolt EV (12%); Chevrolet Volt (10%); and the Ford Fusion Energi (10%). It should be noted here that the full $2,000 rebate doesn’t apply to most plug-in hybrids.


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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