New York City Offers $2000 Rebate for Electric Vehicle Purchase

Starting April, there will be a $2,000 rebate for every EV purchased in New York state. This is the government's way of making electric vehicles a viable option compared to fuel-powered ones

Amy Paulin of the Westchester County Democrat and a member of the Assembly energy committee made the announcement last Friday, March 3. One of the most distinct advantages of using electric vehicles is the low emission level that, in turn, will help lessen climate change or the accumulation of greenhouse gasses.

The rebate will be launched this April 1 and it will certainly make e-vehicles more competitive compared to traditional car models. Surprisingly, the rebate is not a new policy but an old one waiting to be enforced. It was already approved last April 2016. Although the rebate sounds like a good deal to many, some environmentalists lament the slow execution of the approved law.

"Consumers want to buy these vehicles. It's just unfortunate the agency decided to slow walk it," Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York, said in a statement.

Government officials are said to be reaching out to car dealers to make sure that everyone is fully aware of the rebate. It will replace the federal tax credit currently available to New York EV purchases.

Engadget even added that if a car is eligible for both the rebate and the federal tax credit, the buyer could be looking at a savings of about $10,000. Despite the good news, experts argued that the April 1 enforcement of the rebate is actually the deadline for launching the programs. Even until today, reports say that the government is still ironing out the final touches of the program, a few weeks before it will be enforced.

Some say the government delayed the execution of the rebate until the last minute. However, late or not, the $2,000 cut from the sticker price can make a big difference when purchasing e-vehicles in New York, which, according to studies, represents one of the largest electric car markets aside from California.