EV Deals & Incentives

The IRA clean vehicle credits (30D new EV, 25E used EV, 45W commercial) expired September 30, 2025. The new Car Loan Interest Deduction under the OBBBA allows up to $10,000/year in auto loan interest deductions for new American-made vehicles including EVs, on loans originated January 2025 through December 2028. The Section 30C EV Charger Tax Credit expired June 30, 2026 — but chargers placed in service by that date can still be claimed on a 2026 return: 30% of installation cost up to $1,000 residential or $100,000 commercial.

Only if you acquired the EV before October 1, 2025 with a binding contract and payment by that deadline — in which case you can still claim it on your 2025 or 2026 tax return. Anyone who purchased on or after October 1, 2025 cannot claim the credit. The used-EV credit ($4,000 or 30% of sale price, whichever is less) has the same cutoff date.

With federal purchase credits ended, state programs are now the primary source of EV savings. Among the most generous still-active programs in September 2026: California (up to $12,000 combined for income-qualified residents via Clean Cars 4 All, which requires scrapping an older gas car, plus a $3,500 MyFirstEV discount for first-time buyers, live since Aug 3, 2026 at participating brands — Tesla's share has already run out), Maine (up to $8,000 through Efficiency Maine, including a $1,000 bonus that ends Sept 30, 2026), Oregon (up to $7,500 under Charge Ahead, for vehicles bought or leased Aug 25 – Nov 4, 2026), Illinois ($2,000, or $4,000 for low-income applicants, in a cycle open through Dec 31, 2026), Massachusetts (up to $6,000 through MOR-EV), Connecticut (up to $4,000 via CHEAPR), and New Jersey (up to $4,000 through Charge Up NJ, whose FY27 cycle opened July 1). State funding is finite and programs frequently pause when annual budgets run out — Maryland's credit is out of FY26 funding and Pennsylvania's and Texas's rebates are closed as of September 2026, so always check program status before banking on a specific rebate.

Yes, almost always. State and utility rebates are post-purchase (you get the check after you buy), so they don't affect the manufacturer's pricing at all. That means a Ford Mustang Mach-E leased under a $239/mo promo in New Jersey can still stack the Charge Up NJ rebate on top: $1,500 base (or up to $4,000 for income-qualified buyers). NJ's EV sales-tax exemption no longer applies — EVs pay the full 6.625% since July 1, 2025. The only exception: some manufacturer lease deals require you not claim certain incentives — always read the lease disclaimer.

It depends. The old "lease loophole" — where leasing banks passed through the $7,500 federal commercial EV credit (45W) — ended when that credit expired September 30, 2025, so leases no longer carry a built-in federal discount. What makes leasing attractive in 2026 is aggressive manufacturer lease support: many brands are subsidizing payments directly (e.g., Hyundai IONIQ 5 from $259/mo, Mustang Mach-E from the high-$200s in some regions) to move EV inventory. The catch: at lease end you must return the vehicle or pay residual value to buy it. For buyers who keep cars 8+ years, financing is usually better overall; for buyers who upgrade every 3 years, leasing is often the cheaper path — but always compare the specific lease and finance offers, since they change monthly.

Manufacturer lease and APR offers change monthly — sometimes more often when inventory shifts. State rebate programs typically update quarterly, though a few (like California's CVRP) have paused and resumed multiple times in the past two years. This page is refreshed with the latest verified offers on the "last updated" date shown above. For real-time verification, always cross-check with the manufacturer's website or the official state program page before ordering.

Only for installations completed on or before June 30, 2026 — the credit has expired for anything installed after that date. If your charger was placed in service between 2023 and the deadline and you haven't already claimed it, the Section 30C residential credit covers 30% of hardware and installation costs up to $1,000. Save your receipts for the charger itself, any electrical panel work, and the permit fees, then claim via IRS Form 8911 on your tax return.