States Step Up EV Incentives After Trump Kills Federal Credits — SkimNews

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- Trump administration has frozen billions in EV charging infrastructure funding and eliminated federal EV tax credits for both new and used vehicles, which had offered up to $7,500 in incentives.
- California launched its MyFirstEV program this summer, offering instant rebates to first-time EV buyers and lessees through a partnership between the state and 13 automakers.
- Colorado expanded its Vehicle Exchange Colorado program after federal rebates disappeared, providing up to $15,000 off a new EV and creating ReCharge Coaches to educate residents.
- Express Credit Union in Washington State offers below-market-rate loans for new and used EV purchases as a financing-based affordability lever.
- Delaware operates an Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Rebate Program covering a substantial portion of installation costs at apartments, offices, businesses, and other public locations.
- Gas prices remained above $4 per gallon nationwide for all of August, according to AAA — a figure the author attributes to Trump's "war of choice in Iran" — sharpening the cost case for EVs.
- Sierra Club has published its AchiEVe toolkit documenting state-level EV incentives, financing programs, and best practices for consumers and policymakers.
Why it matters: With federal EV incentives gone and gas averaging above $4 per gallon, low- and middle-income drivers lose access to the $7,500 rebate that made cleaner cars competitive. The California-automaker partnership and Colorado's $15,000 incentive are concrete templates that could pressure other states to act, but nationwide progress still requires the federal government to reverse course.
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