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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program?

The Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program offers a rebate for Oregon drivers who purchase or lease zero emission vehicles. It is not a tax credit. The Program is designed to reduce vehicle emissions by encouraging more of those living in Oregon to purchase or lease zero-emission vehicles. The Program offers two rebate options:

  • Standard Rebate for the purchase or lease of a new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or a new zero-emission electric motorcycle.
  • Charge Ahead Rebate for the purchase or lease of a new or used battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. To qualify for the Charge Ahead Rebate, the purchaser or lessee must be income eligible or a low-income service provider. The income requirement is up to 400% of the federal poverty guideline and are based upon the applicant's household size and adjusted gross income. To see if you meet the income requirements, please go to the Charge Ahead Income Eligibility web page.

DEQ has contracted with The Center for Sustainable Energy, a third-party administrator, to implement the program on behalf of DEQ.

For the Standard Rebate option:

  • $2,000 towards the purchase or lease of a new battery electric with a battery capacity of 10 kWh or more.

  • $1,500 towards the purchase or lease of a new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a battery capacity of 10 kWh or more.

  • $750 towards the purchase or lease of a new battery electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with a battery capacity of less than 10 kWh.

  • $375 towards the purchase or lease of a new zero-emission electric motorcycle.

For the Charge Ahead Rebate option:

  • $2,500, or no more than the vehicle purchase price* for a used plug-in hybrid vehicle.

  • Up to $4,000 or no more than 30% of the vehicle price*, with a minimum of $2,500, for a used battery electric vehicle. For vehicles under $2,500, the rebate cannot exceed the purchase price*.

  • $5,000 towards the purchase or lease of a new, eligible plug-in hybrid vehicle

  • $7,500 towards the purchase or lease of a new, eligible battery electric vehicle.

The Standard and Charge Ahead Rebates may not be combined.

* Total vehicle price means the base price of the vehicle, additional features, and packages (including but not limited to battery upgrades, autonomous upgrades, wheel and tire packages, paint options, and audio and infotainment system). It does not include any OEM or dealership discounts, applicable taxes, title, license or registration fees, vehicle pre-order or ordering fees, document processing fees or additional maintenance, warranty or repair packages purchased from the dealership.  ​​

Vehicles must be registered in Oregon for at least two years and have a base manufacturer's suggested retail price of less than $50,000.

An electric vehicle must be purchased through a licensed vehicle dealer or an original equipment manufacturer. If a vehicle is purchased through an original equipment manufacturer, the manufacturer cannot have any licensed, franchised, new automobile dealers in Oregon. Additionally, no person-to-person sales will be eligible for the rebate.

All rebated vehicles must also be:

  • Operable, capable of travelling at a speed of 55 mph or more,

  • Not been declared a totaled vehicle or have a salvage title

  • If a battery electric vehicle, able to travel 75 miles or more using only electricity and if a plug-in hybrid, able to travel at least 10 miles using only electricity and be within the 15 year/150,000 mile warranty the required 24 months an applicant must maintain ownership and Oregon registration.

If rebated to an individual, the vehicle must be primarily used by household members. For Charge Ahead Rebates for used vehicles, the vehicle may not have been previously owned or leased by the applicant or a household member.

Individuals are limited to a total of two (2) rebates and cannot receive any additional rebates. If an individual has already received two (2) or more rebates, they are not eligible for any additional rebates. Businesses, nonprofits and government agencies are limited to 10 rebates per calendar year and must submit annual usage data to DEQ for three (3) years.

Please see the list of vehicles eligible for the Standard Rebate and the list of vehicles eligible for the Charge Ahead Rebate. DEQ reserves the right to modify vehicle eligibility at any time for any reason.​

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. DEQ has hired The Center for Sustainable Energy, a third-party administrator, to process rebates. Once CSE has received your application, they will send an email from oregoncvrp@energycenter.org with additional steps. 

If your rebate application is approved, you will receive an email with an expected timeframe to receive it. To ensure you receive rebate communications, consider adding oregoncvrp@energycenter.org to your safe senders list.​​

Applying for a rebate

Individuals (Those living in Oregon) can apply for the Standard Rebate and the Charge Ahead Rebate at the time of purchase or lease, at a Participating Dealership, called “point of sale" when purchasing an eligible vehicle. For the Charge Ahead Rebate to be applied at the time of purchase or lease, applicants must first apply for and be issued a Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher. Applicants can apply to be prequalified by visiting the application page and completing the application to verify their income meets the eligibility requirements. Without a Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher, applicants must apply post-purchase for the rebate.

Only Participating Dealerships may offer the rebate at point of sale. You can find locations on the "Participating Electric Vehicle Dealers Statewide" map. If you purchased or leased your vehicle through a Participating Dealer, the dealership will complete and submit the application on your behalf; the rebate amount will be deducted from the purchase or lease price.

Organizations (business, nonprofits and government agencies) cannot apply at point of sale at this time. ​

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Yes, you must submit a rebate application within six months (180 days) of the date of purchase or lease of your electric vehicle. For vehicles ordered from an original equipment manufacturer, the date of first registration will be considered the date of purchase or lease.​​

If you did not receive the Standard Rebate at the time of purchase or lease, start by creating a program account through the online portal. After creating your account, you will land on your program dashboard and can begin a Standard Rebate application. When applying, you will need to upload the following documents to complete your application:

  • Proof of Oregon residency (e.g., Oregon driver's license)

  • Entire purchase/lease agreement

  • Proof of vehicle registration (temporary or permanent registration is acceptable)​​

If you did not receive the rebate at the time of purchase or lease, start by creating a program account through the online portal. After creating your account, you will land on your program dashboard and can begin a Standard Rebate application. When applying, you will need to upload the following documents to complete your application:

  • Proof of Oregon residency (e.g., Oregon driver's license)

  • Entire purchase/lease agreement

  • Proof of vehicle registration (temporary or permanent registration is acceptable)

  • Household Summary Form*

  • Proof of Income: 4506-C Form* for each household resident OR proof of enrollment in a public assistance program

  • ​Attestation Form

*Household Summary, IRS 4506-C Forms and Attestation Forms are available for download during the online application process. The Attestation Form certifies the applicant is following all program requirements and providing accurate information.​

Begin by creating a program account through the online portal. After creating your account, you will land on your program dashboard and can begin a rebate application. When applying, you will need to upload the following documents to complete your application:

  • Rebate application form

  • Proof of Oregon residency (e.g., Oregon driver's license)

  • Entire purchase/lease agreement

  • Proof of vehicle registration (temporary or permanent registration is acceptable)

  • Attestation Form**

** The Attestation Form is available for download during the online application process. It certifies the applicant is providing accurate information. For nonprofit organizations applying for the Charge Ahead Rebate, the Attestation Form confirms the organization is a low-income service provider. ​

No, we are unable to accept emailed applications due to security and privacy concerns. Please apply online by creating a program account through the online portal. You may request a paper application be sent to you by mail by emailing oregoncvrp@energycenter.org. ​​

Once we have received your completed application, we will send an email from oregoncvrp@energycenter.org with additional steps. After reviewing your application, CSE will notify you of your eligibility by email. It will state your application is either (a) approved, (b) incomplete and you will need to send additional information or (c) ineligible and you do not qualify for a rebate.​​

Charge Ahead Rebate eligibility

To be eligible for Charge Ahead, you must either:

  • Reside in a household that meets the income requirements, as defined below, at the time you purchased or leased your vehicle and have not previously received two (2) or more OCVRP rebates, OR

  • Qualify as, and attest, to being a low-income service provider that provides health, dental, social, financial, energy conservation or other assistive services to low- or moderate-income households in Oregon and registered as a 501(c)(3).​​

If applying for a Charge Ahead rebate, household income must be below 400% of the federal poverty guideline for your household size.

For the purposes of the Charge Ahead Rebate, a “household" is defined as an individual living alone, a family with or without children or a group of individuals who are living together as one economic unit.

To calculate whether you meet the Charge Ahead income requirements, click on the Charge Ahead Income Eligibility web page and review the maximum household income for your household size.

For Charge Ahead income calculations, “household income" is the household's total adjusted gross income.​

If applying for a Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher, you must provide DEQ with information about your household size, members, contact information and either:

  • Proof of current enrollment in an eligible public assistance program (a detailed list can be found below), OR
  • Authorization for the Department of Revenue to review your Oregon State Tax transcripts to verify you meet the income requirements.

If applying post-purchase or lease, you will need to submit proof of income documentation to CSE, once your application is received. CSE will contact you via email for the following documents:

  • A completed and signed IRS Form 4506-C and a Household Summary Form, OR

  • Proof of current enrollment in an eligible public assistance program at the time your vehicle was purchased or leased. If you participated in a public assistance program at the time you purchased or leased your vehicle, an IRS Form 4506-T or 4506-C form is not required. Income-qualified programs include:

    • Oregon Health Plan/Medicaid

    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

    • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

    • Free and Reduced-Price Lunch

    • HUD Housing Choice Voucher

    • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

    • Employment-Related Daycare

    • Women, Infants and Children (WIC) 5

For applicants who are not eligible through an income-qualified program and have not filed the tax year requested, CSE will request income and asset documentation. Examples of additional documentation may include W-2s, bank statements, etc.​​

If applying for a Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher, the Department of Revenue looks at your most recent tax transcript on file. Oregon State taxes must have been filed and accepted within the last two years for income to be verified through this method.

If applying post-purchase or lease, our third-part administrator, The Center for Sustainable Energy will verify income by requesting a tax transcript from the IRS for the applicant from the year the vehicle was purchased or leased. If the tax transcript for that year is not available at the time the application is processed, the one from the previous year as required will be requested. For example, for any application submitted before May 15, 2027, CSE will refer to 2025 tax transcripts if the 2026 tax year has not been filed.​

For post-purchase or lease applications, CSE reviews an applicant's federal tax return and verifies the adjusted gross income from Line 11 on IRS Form 1040.

For Charge Ahead Prequalification Vouchers, adjusted gross income is verified by the Oregon Department of Revenue using Oregon State tax transcripts, this can be found on form OR-40, line 7. ​


Contact

For more information or if you require a paper rebate application, please contact:

The Center for Sustainable Energy
oregoncvrp@energycenter.org
855–383-4425.