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PG&E offers rebates to some customers buying used electric cars

SAN FRANCISCO -- PG&E announced Thursday it's launching a pre-owned electric vehicle (EV) rebate program to provide qualified residential customers with up to $4,000 when purchasing or leasing a pre-owned EV.

The program aims to distribute more than $78 million to promote the adoption of EVs and make EV ownership more affordable for all customers.

Current PG&E electric customers may qualify to receive a $1,000 or $4,000 rebate, based on household income when purchasing or leasing an eligible pre-owned all-electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid EV.

To take advantage of the offer, interested customers must successfully submit a rebate application within 180 days of the date of purchase or lease.

"This new rebate program addresses the continued growth of the pre-owned EV market with a focus on making EVs more affordable for all customers throughout our service area," Aaron August, PG&E vice president of utility partnerships and innovation, said in a statement.

The company said affordability can be a barrier to EV adoption and this program will help offset costs for customers who want to explore pre-owned EV ownership.

The Pre-Owned EV Rebate Program is funded by the California Air Resources Board's low carbon fuel standard, an initiative designed to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. PG&E earns LCFS credits for supplying low-carbon fuel in the form of electricity and redistributes funds generated from the sale of those credits through customer programs. The Pre-Owned EV Rebate Program has no impact on customer rates.

Customers are invited to check out PG&E's EV savings calculator, an online resource to browse vehicles, discover incentives, locate charging stations and more, at https://ev.pge.com 

PG&E offers an EV rate comparison tool to help customers find the best rate plan for them.

Current programs include PG&E's EV Fleet Program, which helps customers with medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in their fleets to install cost-effective charging infrastructure to save money, reduce tailpipe emissions and simplify maintenance.

The utility company also funds and installs infrastructure at qualifying customer sites to support the expansion of publicly available fast-charging stations for light-duty vehicles.

Nearly 500,000 EVs have been sold in PG&E's service area, representing one in seven EVs in the country.

For details on the rebate program, go to http://evrebate.pge.com 

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