FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Answers to common questions about the SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate.
The SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate is available to SCE residential customers for the purchase or lease of 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. This program is not funded by customer or ratepayer dollars.
SCE customers with an active residential service account in SCE’s service territory who have purchased or leased an eligible pre-owned Battery-Electric Vehicle (BEV) or Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) are eligible for the rebate. Vehicles must be registered to individuals; vehicles registered to businesses/commercial accounts are not eligible. Applications must be submitted within 180 days of the vehicle purchase or lease.
Yes, eligibility requirements vary based on rebate level and other considerations. Additional requirements include, but may not be limited to:
- The qualifying vehicle must be registered at the address of your residential SCE service account. The service account does not have to be in the applicant’s 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. If leased, the lease term must be at least 20 months to be eligible for the rebate.
- You must have paid the current vehicle registration fees in the State of California and be able to submit a copy of your vehicle registration and purchase or lease contract. If purchased from a private-party sale, you must submit your new finalized Certificate of Title listing you as the new owner.
- The vehicle must have been purchased for more than the Rebate amount.
Other eligibility requirements may apply. See SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate Customer Terms & Conditions Agreement for more details.
Each individual applicant may apply to receive one (1) rebate every 24 months, and up to a maximum of three (3) eligible vehicles over 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 a rebate from the SCE Clean Fuel Reward Program, California Clean Fuel Reward, SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) Pre-Owned EV Rebate, or the San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) Pre-Owned EV Rebate for the same vehicle.
Applicants are ineligible if they have already applied for and/or received three SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebates for three separate vehicles since December 2, 2021 OR if the household has received rebates for three different EVs purchased or leased in any single year.
All customers can apply for the Rebate after the vehicle has been purchased. Rebate Plus customers also have the option to apply before a vehicle purchase to confirm eligibility.
Yes. Rebate Plus customers can start their application prior to vehicle purchase to be sure they are eligible for the $4,000 rebate.
The date of purchase or lease, as applicable, is the contract date shown on the retailer’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.
Yes.
Yes. Customers assuming a lease from a previous lessor can qualify for the rebate if at least twenty (20) months remain between the lease transfer date and the lease end date. Leases with terms less than 20 months do not qualify.
Yes. Customers who purchased or leased an eligible pre-owned EV may still apply. You must submit your application within 180 days of the date listed on the purchase/lease contract.
Other restrictions may apply. See Eligibility Requirements for more information.
No. Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles, Compressed Natural Gas vehicles, electric bikes, electric motorcycles, electric scooters, and neighborhood vehicles are not eligible for the rebate.
See the Eligible Vehicles List for more information.
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 Customer Agreement.
Confirmed dependents are automatically disqualified from participating in Rebate Plus.
To verify your income, we require a copy of your most recent IRS Tax Return Transcript. This is not the same as a W2 or a 1040 Tax Return. You can request your tax transcript information by calling the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) at 800-908-9946 or accessing your online account at IRS.gov/your-account. Also view the Rebate Plus Support Guide on how to access the required Rebate Plus documents.
Yes. You will be directed to our secure, password protected portal to upload your tax transcript. To be most secure, please only upload your most recent tax transcript. The information is limited and includes placeholders to protect your personal information. To be extra safe, do not upload your W2 or 1040 Tax return, as it does not include these security features.
Most programs have an online method to receive your documentation. As an example, for State of California benefits such as CalFresh, CalWorks or Medi-Cal:
Log In: Go to benefitscal.com/ to access your user account.
Link Your Case: Select "Link a Case" if your active county case does not show on your dashboard yet.
View Case Details: Click on "View Case Details" under your applications and cases.
Download Proof: Scroll to the bottom, find the "verification of benefits" section, authorize the release, and save the document.
Also view the Rebate Plus Support Guide on how to access the required Rebate Plus documents.
Rebate payments are typically processed within 20 days of application approval, but some delays may occur. You will receive an email when your payment has been processed.
You may check your application status at any time by logging into the Customer Portal here.
Rebates are paid via Direct Deposit ACH transfer to the bank account of the Applicant.
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.
SCE's new TOU-D Prime rate is a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate plan that may help you save money 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.
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.
SCE Charge Ready Home program offers eligible customers up to $4,200 to upgrade their home’s electrical panel. Learn more about eligibility requirements at evhome.sce.com/residents. If you were approved for the $4,000 Rebate Plus, you may provide your application number and approval letter as proof of eligibility for the Income-Qualified rebate. You can stay up to date on current SCE resources and incentives for EV owners at sce.com/ev.
The SCE Pre-Owned EV Rebate program is funded through SCE’s participation in the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program, which is operated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This program is not funded by customer or ratepayer dollars. The Pre-Owned EV Rebate is an important part of our effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by incentivizing the purchase or lease of clean electric vehicles.
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