Virginia EV Rebate Legislation Proposed in 2021

Virginia House Bill 1979

Virginia Delegate David Reid of Loudoun County is proposing a rebate for Virginians who buy or lease an electric vehicle. The legislation will be introduced when the Virginia General Assembly convenes on January 13, 2021.

Used Vehicles Would Qualify

HB 1979 proposes that an individual who buys or leases a new or used electric motor vehicle from a dealer in Virginia and registers the vehicle in Virginia would be eligible for a $2,500 rebate. An additional $2,000 rebate would be available for certain income qualified individuals.

For the purposes of the rebate program, an electric motor vehicle “means a motor vehicle that uses electricity as its only source of motive power. ‘Electric motor vehicle’ includes fuel cell electric vehicles.”

UPDATE: I reached out to Delegate Reid to clarify if the bill would include incentives for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). He explained that right now, it does not include PHEVs or fleet vehicles. The reason being that there is a limited amount of money to get started with and they were looking for where the program could be scaled back in a way that they can achieve the environmental benefits of being able to get carbon out of the transportation sector in a manner that would provide the most bang for the buck. Given the budget constraints of the moment, the program is designed to begin by focusing just on battery electric vehicles.

Delegate Reid says he wants to be able to get consumers familiar with the idea that electric vehicles are a viable alternative for basic transportation. In the future, once the program moves forward and other sources of revenue are identified to fund the program, they can add plug-in hybrids, fleet vehicles and more.

Summary as Introduced

Electric vehicle rebate program; creation and funding; report. Creates a rebate program for the purchase or lease of new and used electric vehicles, to be administered by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. A purchaser or lessee of an electric vehicle would receive a $2,500 rebate at the time of purchase, and a purchaser or lessee with an annual household income that does not exceed 300 percent of the federal poverty level would be entitled to an additional $2,000 rebate. The motor vehicle dealer where the vehicle is purchased or leased would receive a refund for the amount of the rebate and a $50 incentive payment for each rebate processed. Funds would be allocated from the revenues generated by the sunset of the Virginia Coal Employment and Production Incentive Tax Credit and the Coalfield employment enhancement tax credit and prohibit the allocation of new credits on and after January 1, 2021. The bill also establishes an Electric Vehicle Rebate Advisory Council to oversee the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program and to make recommendations regarding its implementation. The Director of the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is required to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly regarding the Program. The Program will expire on September 1, 2026.

Summary of Virginia HB 1979 as introduced.

Eligibility for Rebates

§ 67-1802. Eligibility for rebate; amount of rebate.

A. Beginning September 1, 2021, a resident of the Commonwealth who is the purchaser of a new or used electric motor vehicle from a participating dealer shall be eligible for a rebate of $2,500, subject to the availability of funds in the Fund.

B. Beginning September 1, 2021, a qualified resident of the Commonwealth who is the purchaser of a new or used electric motor vehicle from a participating dealer shall be eligible for a $2,000 enhanced rebate, in addition to the rebate provided in subsection A, subject to availability of funds in the Fund.

C. The Department shall develop and implement a process by which a purchaser may apply to the Department for a rebate pursuant to this section. Such process shall include verification that the purchaser possesses a valid Virginia driver’s license and submission of the purchaser’s full name, address, and contact information; the make and model of the vehicle to be purchased or leased; the vehicle identification number; the name of the participating dealer; and any other information deemed necessary by the Department. Upon verification that the purchaser is eligible for a rebate pursuant to this section, the Department shall issue to the purchaser a voucher or other evidence of verification that includes the total amount of the rebate to which the purchaser is entitled. The purchaser shall present the voucher to the dealer at the time of the purchase or lease. The amount of the rebate shall be deducted from the sales price by the participating dealer at the time of the sale or lease, and the participating dealer shall be reimbursed for the amount of the rebate by the Department from the Fund.

Excerpt from Virginia HB 1979 as introduced.

A “used electric motor vehicle” would be a previously owned or leased electric motor vehicle that is not more than seven years old for the purposes of the rebate program.

Track the status of HB 1979 at the PlugInSites Electric Vehicle Legislation Tracker

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