§ 2902. Incentive Program for New Plug-In Electric Vehicles

(a) Creation; administration.

(1) There is created the Incentive Program for New Plug-In Electric Vehicles (PEVs), which shall be administered by the Agency of Transportation.

(2) Subject to State procurement requirements, the Agency may retain a contractor or contractors to assist with marketing, program development, and administration of the Program.

(b) Program structure. The Incentive Program for New PEVs shall structure PEV purchase and lease incentive payments by income to help all Vermonters benefit from electric driving, including Vermont’s most vulnerable. Specifically, the Incentive Program for New PEVs:

(1) shall apply to both purchases and leases of new PEVs with an emphasis on incentivizing the purchase and lease of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with an electric range of 20 miles or greater per complete charge as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency when the vehicle was new;

(2) shall provide not more than one incentive of not more than $3,000.00 for a PEV, per individual per year, to:

(A) an individual domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is single with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States greater than $60,000.00 and at or below $100,000.00;

(B) an individual domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is head of household with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States greater than $75,000.00 and at or below $125,000.00;

(C) an individual domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is surviving spouse with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States greater than $90,000.00 and at or below $150,000.00;

(D) an individual who is part of a married couple with at least one spouse domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is married filing jointly with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States greater than $90,000.00 and at or below $150,000.00; or

(E) an individual who is part of a married couple with at least one spouse domiciled in the State and at least one spouse whose federal income tax filing status is married filing separately with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States greater than $60,000.00 and at or below $100,000.00;

(3) shall provide not more than one incentive of not more than $6,000.00 for a PEV, per individual per year, to:

(A) an individual domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is single with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States at or below $60,000.00;

(B) an individual domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is head of household with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States at or below $75,000.00;

(C) an individual domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is surviving spouse with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States at or below $90,000.00;

(D) an individual who is part of a married couple with at least one spouse domiciled in the State whose federal income tax filing status is married filing jointly with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States at or below $90,000.00; or

(E) an individual who is part of a married couple with at least one spouse domiciled in the State and at least one spouse whose federal income tax filing status is married filing separately with an adjusted gross income under the laws of the United States at or below $60,000.00;

(4) shall, as technology progresses, establish a minimum electric range in order for a PHEV to be eligible for an incentive;

(5) shall apply to:

(A) manufactured PEVs with any base Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) that will be issued a special registration plate by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles pursuant to 23 V.S.A. § 304a or will predominately be used to provide accessible transportation for the incentive recipient or a member of the incentive recipient’s household, provided that the incentive recipient or the member of the incentive recipient’s household has a removable windshield placard issued by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles pursuant to 23 V.S.A. § 304a;

(B) manufactured PHEVs with a base MSRP as determined by the Agency of Transportation and meeting the following requirements:

(i) shall not exceed a base MSRP of $55,000.00;

(ii) shall phase out incentives for PHEVs with an electric range of less than 20 miles as rated by the Environmental Protection Agency when the vehicle was new; and

(iii) shall be benchmarked to a base MSRP of the equivalent of approximately $50,000.00 or less in model year 2023; and

(C) manufactured BEVs with a base MSRP as determined by the Agency of Transportation and meeting the following requirements:

(i) shall not exceed a base MSRP of $55,000.00; and

(ii) shall be benchmarked to a base MSRP of the equivalent of approximately $50,000.00 or less in model year 2023; and

(6) shall provide incentives that may be in addition to any other available incentives, including through another program funded by the State, provided that not more than one incentive under the Incentive Program for New PEVs is used for the purchase or lease of any one PEV.

(c) Administrative costs. Up to 15 percent of any appropriations for the Incentive Program for New PEVs may be used for any costs associated with administering and promoting the Incentive Program for New PEVs.

(d) Outreach and marketing. The Agency, in consultation with any retained contractors, shall ensure that there is sufficient outreach and marketing, including the use of translation and interpretation services, of the Incentive Program for New PEVs so that Vermonters who are eligible for an incentive can easily learn how to secure as many different incentives as are available, and such costs shall be considered administrative costs for purposes of subsection (c) of this section. (Added 2023, No. 62, § 19, eff. July 1, 2023.)