Plug-In Vehicles

With Delaware recently joining the Zero Emission Vehicle program, the transition to plug-in vehicles is coming into focus. Plug-in vehicles, from fully electric battery-based vehicles to plug-in hybrids that use both gas and electricity, are having a moment, projected to make up 30% of all new US car sales by 2030.

Plug-in vehicles have numerous benefits over traditional vehicles, especially with rising gas prices and worrying amounts of air pollution. Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles have much better effective fuel economy, bring lower maintenance costs, produce significantly fewer emissions and help address energy independence.

Given the many benefits of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, governments, businesses and nonprofits at all levels provide various incentives for purchasing an EV or installing an EV charging station. There are several programs for Delaware residents to take advantage of, namely the federal tax credit, the state of Delaware’s suite of clean transportation incentives and Powering Our Future’s EV charging station rebate program.

The federal tax credit is the most generous program for purchasers of new plug-in vehicles, but varies greatly based on battery size and manufacturer. To find out more regarding the current tax credit eligibility for every electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sold (along with information about price, range, performance and safety ratings), check out EVInfoList.com.

In addition, the state of Delaware provides rebates for both electric / plug-in hybrid vehicles and non-residential EV charging stations. Any Delaware resident who purchases a new electric vehicle (with a total price under $60,000) can apply for a $2,500 cash rebate, while purchasers of a new plug-in hybrid can apply for a $1,000 rebate. Additionally, state rebates are available for EV charging stations for public access, workplace, fleet or multifamily charging, covering up to 90% of the cost (excluding installation).

Now, you may have noticed that the state government does not incentivize personal EV charging stations (e.g. charging stations installed by homeowners in their private garage), at least not anymore. That is where Powering Our Future comes in. We want to further encourage residents to switch to plug-in vehicles, even if they missed out on earlier residential incentives. We also want to further incentivize businesses and nonprofits with public parking lots to do the same. Thus, any household, business or nonprofit within New Castle County that installs a “J plug” (officially SAE J1772) charging station is eligible for a $100 rebate*, per port. Submit a rebate request here.

*NOTE: Each household is limited to one electric vehicle charging station rebate. Each business or nonprofit is limited to one rebate for every 10 standard parking spots. There are a limited number of rebates allocated each quarter, with priority given to households / residential complexes within our current service area.