MEDIA RELEASE
Hawai‘i residents who purchase new electric vehicles or install electric vehicle chargers after August 1, 2010 may be eligible for rebates or grants under the Hawai‘i Electric Vehicle (EV) Ready Program Lt. Governor James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr. announced today.
A total of $4 million in Federal stimulus funds allocated to Hawai‘i for transportation energy transformation will be made available to Hawai‘i residents and businesses for the purchase of electric vehicles and installation of electric vehicle chargers. Rebates of up to $4,500 will be available for each new, highway-capable electric or plug in hybrid electric vehicles. Rebates of up to $500 will be available for the purchase and installation of each new electric vehicle charger; and, if an electric vehicle purchase includes the installation of a charger, a combined rebate of up to $5,000 will be available. A grant program is also planned, and will provide funding assistance for larger, multi-site or multi-partner projects.
“Accelerating the adoption of electric drive vehicles in Hawai‘i is an essential part of the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative’s goal of moving towards 70 percent clean energy by 2030,” said Lt Governor Aiona. “Electric vehicles can run on clean electricity generated from locally available renewable energy sources such as sun, wind, and ocean power. This Federal funding for electric vehicles and chargers will create jobs in the near term, while also contributing to Hawai‘i’s long-term clean energy economy.”
In January, the SAE J1772 charge coupler standard was approved by Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) International in cooperation with major automotive manufacturers and suppliers, charging equipment manufacturers, and standards organizations from North America, Europe and Asia. Companies participating in or supporting the standard included Aerovironment, BMW, Better Place, Chrysler, Coulomb, Daimler, Ford, Gridpoint, GM, Honda, Nissan, Tesla, Toyota, and others.
Public chargers funded under the program will be required to comply with the SAE J1772 standard. Charger rebates will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, subject to the availability of funds, and will be in addition to the 50 percent federal tax incentive for Qualified Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property of up to $2,000 for individuals and $50,000 for businesses.
Vehicle rebates will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, subject to the availability of funds, and will be in addition to the federal tax incentive of up to $7,500 for Qualified Plug-in Electric Drive Motor Vehicles.
Rebate forms and grant applications will be available on the State’s energy website, http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/energy.
“This program sends a message to consumers, electric vehicle service equipment installers, and vehicle manufacturers that Hawai‘i is EV ready,” said Theodore Liu, director, State Dept. of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. “These rebates and grants will stimulate our local economy while helping our transportation sector to become less dependent on petroleum fuels.”