FAQs

What is the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate?

The SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate is available to SCE residential customers who have purchased or leased eligible pre-owned (used) EVs.

The program is funded by the State of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program, which encourages utility customers to reduce transportation-related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by adopting cleaner fuels, like electricity.

How many times can I receive the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate?

Each individual applicant may receive a rebate for up to a maximum of three (3) eligible vehicles, beginning with applications submitted December 2, 2021 through the life of the program.

Each current SCE customer may receive only one (1) SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate per eligible vehicle. Recipients of the SCE Clean Fuel Reward Program rebate or the California Clean Fuel Reward are not eligible to also receive the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate for the same vehicle.

An otherwise-eligible EV is not eligible for the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate if you or the registered co-owner or co-lessee of your vehicle received an SCE Clean Fuel Reward Program rebate for the same vehicle.

When can I apply?

To be eligible, your SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate application must be successfully submitted within 180 days after the date you purchase or lease your vehicle. Your application will be considered submitted once the form is complete, all supporting documents are uploaded, and you receive an email confirmation with an assigned Application ID.

What is considered my date of purchase/lease?

The date of purchase or lease, as applicable, is the contract date shown on the dealer’s purchase or lease contract, or the transfer date shown on the new owner’s Certificate of Title for private-party sales. If the transfer date is missing from the Certificate of Title, additional documentation may be required to confirm your purchase date.

Who can apply for the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate?

You may apply for the rebate if:

You are an SCE customer with an active residential service account in SCE’s service territory. Vehicles must be registered to individuals; vehicles registered to businesses are not eligible.
You own or lease an eligible Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) listed on the HOV Eligibility List for your vehicle’s model year. Fuel cell vehicles, electric bikes, electric motorcycles, electric scooters, and neighborhood vehicles are not eligible for the rebate, even if they are included on the HOV Eligibility List.
You successfully submit your completed application within 180 days after the date you purchase or lease your vehicle. Your application will be considered submitted once the form is complete, all supporting documents are uploaded, and you receive an email confirmation with an assigned Application ID.
Your vehicle, identified by its unique Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), is registered at the address of your residential SCE service account. Your vehicle must be registered to the address associated with the SCE service account number entered on your application, but the service account does not have to be in your name.
You agree to maintain possession of the vehicle in California for a minimum of 20 consecutive months from the vehicle purchase or lease date. Your lease term must be at least 20 months to be eligible for the rebate.
You have not already applied for and received three SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebates for three separate vehicles since December 2, 2021. Once you submit applications for three separate vehicles on and after December 2, 2021, you are not eligible to receive any additional rebates through the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate program.
The household associated with your SCE service account has not already received SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebates for three EVs purchased or leased in a single calendar year.
You have paid the current vehicle registration fees in the State of California and are able to submit a digital copy of your permanent vehicle registration and purchase or lease contract. If purchased from a private-party sale, you must submit your new Certificate of Title listing the new owner. Please refer to the Sample Supporting Documents for examples of accepted documents.

Who can apply for the Rebate Plus option?

You may apply for the Rebate Plus option if you meet all requirements and specific income-based criteria outlined in the Program Requirements and in the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate Terms and Conditions.

What if I haven’t filed my taxes for the year my vehicle was purchased or leased?

If the tax return for the year of purchase or lease has not yet been filed, the most recently-filed tax return within two (2) years of the year of vehicle purchase or lease will be requested for income verification.

If you haven’t filed a tax return within two (2) years of the year the vehicle was purchased or leased, SCE may, at its sole discretion, consider additional documentation to calculate income. Examples include pay stubs, W2s, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit documents, etc.

Filing an extension for the requested tax year is not considered filing for the purposes of the program’s income calculations. In these cases, additional documentation may be requested to evaluate your income for the non-filing year. If you are unable to provide additional requested documentation for income verification, you are not eligible for the Rebate Plus option.

How is my federal tax return used to calculate my income?

For applications submitted using the 2020 or 2021 tax year, we will review the following sections of your federal tax return, as reflected on your IRS tax transcript, to help determine gross annual income:

On 2020 or 2021 IRS Form 1040: Sum of lines 1–7. Line 9 is not used to calculate total gross income for the Rebate Plus option; and (if applicable),
On 2020 or 2021 IRS Form 1040 Schedule 1: Sum of lines 1-8. If Line 8, “Other Income,” is negative, it will not be included as part of your income calculation, unless an exception applies. If Line 8 on Schedule 1 is negative, the corresponding “Statement” filed with your 1040 must be provided. Net operating losses carried over from previous years are not an exception.

My application was approved. When will I receive my rebate check?

Rebate checks are typically mailed within 30 days of approval, but some delays may occur. You will receive an email when your check is mailed. Meanwhile, you may check your application status any time here.

I’m not getting your emails. Where are they?

If you do not receive an email or a link to create or reset your password within 15 minutes of submitting your application form, please check your spam, junk, and bulk email folders. To ensure you receive future emails about your application, add EV@scerebate.com to you address book or “safe senders” list.

What electricity rate plan may be best for EV drivers?

Your home, household size, schedule, and lifestyle all play a part in determining your electricity needs. If you have an EV or other clean-energy technology, such as a residential battery or electric heat pump (water or space heating), the TOU-D-Prime rate may be the best fit for you. The TOU-D-Prime rate offers our lowest off-peak rates and is designed exclusively for high-energy-use households with EVs or other clean-energy technologies. You can get more information to help decide which rate plan may work best for you and sign up at sce.com/rateplantool.

If you are a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) customer, please contact your CCA to learn which rate plan may be best for you.

What is the TOU-D Prime rate?

SCE's new TOU-D Prime rate is a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate plan that may help you save based on the time of day you charge your EV. TOU-D Prime can help you keep costs down if you avoid charging between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. For details, visit sce.com/rateplantool.

Who is eligible for TOU-D Prime, and how can I sign up?

You're eligible for TOU-D Prime if you own or lease one or more of the following technologies and charge at home:

A BEV or PHEV
An energy storage system
An electric heat pump for water or space heating

To find out if TOU-D Prime may be a good fit for your household, visit sce.com/rateplantool.

Are there other rebates or incentives available to EV owners?

You can stay up-to-date on current SCE resources and incentives for EV owners at sce.com/residential/electric-vehicles.

Additional incentives for California EV owners, by ZIP code, may be found at DriveClean, Electric for All, and PlugStar. Each program has different eligibility requirements, so be sure to confirm eligibility prior to purchasing your vehicle.

What are the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate program terms and conditions?

View the Terms and Conditions for all SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate applications successfully submitted on and after June 13, 2023.

View the Terms and Conditions for all SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate applications successfully submitted between July 11, 2022 and June 12, 2023.

View the Terms and Conditions for all SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate applications successfully submitted between April 27, 2022 and July 10, 2022.

View the Terms and Conditions for all SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate applications successfully submitted between December 2, 2021 and April 26, 2022.

View the Terms and Conditions for all SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate applications that were submitted prior to December 2, 2021.