Thinking about buying an electric car? RI will now pay you to install a charger.
PROVIDENCE – The state wants more Rhode Islanders to invest in electric vehicles and is now giving out rebates that could cover the entire cost of residential charging equipment, or close to it.
A new program called PowerUpRI is launching this month offering rebates of up to $700 for homeowners and landlords to install electric vehicle chargers, with as much as another $300 available for low- to-moderate-income applicants. A federal tax credit equal to 30% of the total cost, up to $1,000, is also available.
Those are pretty good amounts considering the cost of a typical Level 2 charger ranges between $300 and $600 and installation is about several hundred dollars more, said Sara Canabarro, administrator of clean transportation programs at the state Office of Energy Resources.
“So you can pretty much get a charger for free,” Canabarro said.
More: Where can you charge your electric vehicle in Rhode Island? Here's a map.
Why offer incentives to install EV chargers?
The program comes as more people in Rhode Island are buying electric vehicles, helped by state rebates and federal tax incentives.
The state has also expanded the number of charging stations off highways and other locations open to the public, the most recent being four new fast chargers in Warwick and Hopkinton near Interstate 95 that can charge vehicles in as little as 20 minutes.
But officials keep hearing concerns from owners of electric vehicles, and people considering buying them, about accessibility to chargers and the up-front costs of installing one themselves.
Canabarro said that questions over charging are considered a major impediment to the continued adoption of electric cars. The rebate program is aimed at helping to solve the problem.
“The convenience of home charging gives that peace of mind that drivers are looking for,” she said.
Transition to electric cars part of state climate policy
The transportation sector is the largest single source of planet-warming greenhouse gases in Rhode Island, responsible for about 38% of total emissions.
More Rhode Islanders will have to transition to electric cars and trucks if the state is to meet the mandates set by the Act on Climate, the law signed by Governor Dan McKee three years ago that forms the foundation of the state government’s climate policy.
The act requires Rhode Island to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 but it also puts in place interim targets. The next one calls for a 45% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030.
The McKee administration is moving to adopt clean car standards rolled out in California that require automotive dealers to increase offerings of zero-emission vehicles while phasing the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars by 2035.
His administration also resurrected in 2022 the DRIVEEV program to reduce the cost of electric cars and trucks. The program is currently offering rebates to state residents of up to $1,500 for the purchase of new electric cars and $1,000 for used vehicles. For low-income Rhode Islanders, an additional rebate of up to $1,500 is available.
As of July 31, the program had given out 1,731 rebates totaling $3.4 million. Another $803,000 in funding is still available.
The state has seen a 35% increase in the number of electric vehicles registered in the state over the past year. The total number as of July 1 was 12,272, according to the state Department of Environmental Management.
Hundreds of dollars in rebates available for chargers
The Office of Energy Resources and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank are partnering on PowerUpRI . The program is starting with a budget of $750,000, with $300,000 reserved for low- and moderate-income residents.
The program is covering up to $700, or 50%, of the purchase and installation costs of a Level 2 residential EV charger, whichever is less if electrical upgrades are required. For those without electrical upgrades, the coverage is up to $350 or 50% of the purchase price, whichever is less.
For qualifying low- and moderate-income residents, the program is offering up to $1,000 or 75% of the purchase and installation costs, whichever is less if an electrical upgrade is needed. And up to $500 or 75% of the purchase price, whichever is less, if no electrical upgrade is needed.
A Level 2 charger takes from 4 to 10 hours to fully charge a battery electric vehicle from empty, according to the federal Department of Transportation.
Canabarro said there’s a good chance that PowerUpRI would be expanded with more money if it’s successful.
“I definitely think so,” she said. “We know there’s a demand for it.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI offers major rebate to install electric car chargers. How to get one.
