The State of Massachusetts announced an additional $2 million will be allocated to the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV) program.
The electric vehicle rebate program, administered by the Department of Energy Resources’ (DOER), offers rebates of up to $2,500 to Massachusetts residents who buy or lease clean electric vehicles.
To date, the program has provided rebates for over 700 zero and low-emission vehicles. Eligible vehicles include battery electric vehicles (BEV) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), and zero-emission motorcycles (ZEM).
Zero and low-emission vehicles will save drivers money on fuel and maintenance costs, according to the DOER’s Fuel Economy side-by-side comparison. For example, a driver purchasing a compact BEV car can save $3,750 dollars on fuel over five years, compared to the same vehicle with a gasoline engine.
The MOR-EV program was initially funded with $2 million in Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction proceeds, which also finance the new funding. This funding aims to help reduce reliance on foreign oil and meet Massachusetts’ goals under the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector 7.6 percent by 2020
MOR-EV has also increased business for dealers that sell electric vehicles. The Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus EV and the Chevrolet Volt are the most popular vehicles being purchased or leased through this program. Any Massachusetts resident is eligible for the rebate.
