In an effort to speed adoption of electric vehicles, Burlington Electric Department (BED) in Vermont has begun partnerships with local auto dealers in an effort to make it easier for customers to secure electric vehicle rebates.
BED’s Preferred Electric Vehicle Dealership Network aims to make buying and leasing electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles easier to navigate by having the dealerships process both BED and Vermont state electric vehicle rebates at the point of sale, allowing customers to benefit from the incentives in their financing packages and eliminating the need to engage in additional post-sale paperwork to claim rebates.
Additionally, each of the nine participating dealerships has pledged to meet and maintain certain criteria, including keeping electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in stock, having a charging station on-site, and employing staff trained in the technology and benefits of electric vehicles.
The program is also designed to help BED move toward its goal of becoming a net zero energy city by 2030. “We know that driving electric and charging with BED's 100 percent renewable electricity saves money for our customers compared to driving a conventional vehicle, and also helps keep more dollars in the local economy,” Darren Springer, BED’s general manager, said in a statement. Springer, along with Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and other stakeholders, released the city’s net zero roadmap in September 2019.
Last January, BED unveiled a series of incentives for electric vehicles, including an off-peak charging rate equivalent to 60 cents a gallon of gasoline. BED’s residential rates for EV charging is 8 cents per kilowatt hour during off-peak hours. Customers who charge their vehicles in the off-peak period for an entire month will receive a bill credit for all their EV charging that month. However, if customers charge outside the off-peak hours at any time in a given month, they will be charged the regular residential rate for the month.
BED is offering customers rebates of $1,200 on new and leased electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with an additional $600 for electric vehicles and $300 for plug-in hybrid vehicles for low- and moderate-income customers. BED also offers $800 rebates on pre-owned electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Vermont offers rebates of between $1,500 and $5,000 for low- and moderate-income residents of the state. There is also a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
BED also has expanded the availability of its electric vehicle incentive program, allowing two EV incentives for each single household or commercial customer.
The utility also recently installed a new charging station in downtown Burlington and plans to install two more charging stations at its office location and four new charging station ports at a municipal parking facility through funds available from the Vermont’s settlement with Volkswagen over claims the auto maker violated the Clean Air Act by selling approximately 500,000 vehicles with devices designed to defeat emission controls.
The American Public Power Association has partnered with Nissan to offer its member public power community across the U.S. exclusive rebates on the all-electric 2019 Nissan LEAF through March 31, 2020.
