EV Rebate Rollout & EV Jobs
Here’s a short radio show program where 350 Deschutes discusses the latest updates on Oregon’s EV Rebate rollout and Jarod Green discusses the Hybrid Automotive Technician Program at Centrol Oregon Community College (COCC):
Buying a New EV
There is a federal tax credit available when purchasing a new or used EV (electric vehicle), and there is often a similar discount available if you lease. Starting in 2024 you should be able to get the federal tax credit at the time of purchase, instead of having to wait until you file your taxes. That should reduce the amount of money you need at the time of purchase.
Oregon’s EV incentive program has ended, but looks likely to re-open Spring 2024. To pre-qualify and for more details, see this Oregon DEQ page.
The federal tax credit is usually set to either $7500 or $3750, but only certain EV’s qualify for the federal tax credit when you’re buying new. This article has a table that lists qualifying vehicles.
Leasing a New EV
Almost every EV receives a discount when leasing. Car and truck manufacturers receive a federal tax credit when they lease out an EV, and they are often passing that benefit to customers in the form of a large price discount as part of the lease deal. This is true even for EVs that don’t qualify for a federal tax credit when being purchased. The amount of discount that car companies are passing on to customers who lease an EV depends on the usual factors: demand for the specific vehicle, inventory on hand, and negotiation.
Buying a Used EV
Buying a used EV can also qualify for a federal tax credit, if certain conditions are met. For instance, the maximum tax credit is $4000, the EV must cost $25,000 or less, and the EV must be 2 or more years old. For full details, see this article.
Buying a Commercial EV
There are different rules and tax credits when purchasing a commercial vehicle for your business. See this IRS article for full details.
Range and Range Anxiety
The range that EV’s can drive before needing more charge has improved considerably over the past few years. Many new EV’s are able to travel over 300 miles on a single charge, and some can go over 400 miles. Very few are still available that are unable to drive more than 200 miles on a single charge.
Also, chargers are being installed all over the place, from Wal-Marts to parking lots to dedicated stations. The federal government’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program is helping states, including Oregon, to install chargers at least every 50 miles on main and secondary highways over the next 5 years, and work has already begun.
For example, all of Highway 97 will be covered with charging support at distances not exceeding 50 miles, and those will be in addition to all of the commercial chargers already available along that route. Highway 20 connecting Central Oregon to I-5 and the Pacific coast will have chargers all along it. Highway 26, which connects Madras to Portland will also receive the same coverage. Highway 101 along the coast will have full coverage, in addition to many other highways throughout Oregon.
See a full map of upcoming NEVI charging support along highways in Oregon here.
Charging at Home and Away
For a full list of available charging locations, please see the PlugShare locator map.
For an EV-optimized route planning map that tells you when to stop and charge, see A Better Route Planner.
While many people charge their EV’s at the ever-growing network of charging stations, most home owners with EV’s charge at home. Unhoused people and people living in apartments or condos frequently rely on chargers at stations, colleges, parks, government buildings, non-profits, and some businesses. Some landlords have already installed chargers at their properties, or are willing to do so.
You can plug your EV into an ordinary outlet, but it is the slowest option. You’ll get charging at about 3-5 miles of range added per hour, for a cost of about $6-12 for 250 miles of range (depending on your EV and your cost of electricity).
Many homeowners want faster charging and install what’s called a Level 2 charger in their garage or driveway. These provide much more power than a standard outlet, and much faster charging. Level 2 chargers charge at about 30-65 miles of range added per hour. After one time charger installation expenses, the cost of charging is the same as a normal outlet, since it’s just part of your normal electric bill.
Many Level 2 chargers are available for free at parks, colleges, hotels (for guests), non-profits, and government buildings.
Level 3 chargers are the fastest and are what you usually find at dedicated charging facilities. Level 3 chargers today are too expensive and require too much power for typical home installation. They charge at 100-400 miles of range per hour, depending on the charger and your EV’s capabilities. As an example, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 can charge exceptionally quickly on a full power Level 3 charger under ideal conditions, going from 10% battery charge to 80% battery charge in just 18 minutes, adding about 208 miles of range in that time.
Which EV?
You can see a list of all EVs currently available in the United States here.
The top selling EVs in 2023 were:
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- Chevrolet Bolt EUV (Starting MSRP $27,800)
- Volkswagen ID.4 (Starting MSRP $38,990)
- Tesla Model 3 (Starting MSRP $38,990)
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Starting MSRP $41,650)
- Kia EV6 (Starting MSRP $42,600)
- Ford Mustang Mach-E (Starting MSRP $42,995)
- Tesla Model Y (Starting MSRP $43,990)
- Rivian R1T (Starting MSRP $73,000)
EV Dealers in Central Oregon
Though we have many car dealerships here in Central Oregon, people often find more inventory for both new and used cars if they expand their search throughout all of Oregon. Sometimes local car dealerships can bring in a car from anywhere in the country that matches your specifications, so be sure to ask if they don’t have what you want in their current inventory.
