Tesla Exhausts $18 Million California EV Rebates in 5 Days
Updated
Updated · Electrek · Aug 10
Tesla Exhausts $18 Million California EV Rebates in 5 Days
3 articles · Updated · Electrek · Aug 10
Summary
$18 million in combined state and matching rebates for Tesla vehicles was fully claimed by Aug. 8, just five days after California opened MyFirstEV discounts to Tesla buyers on Aug. 3.
Tesla burned through the allocation so quickly because it remains California's top EV seller, registering 45,953 vehicles in the second quarter — about 500 a day — and holding 56.7% of the state's ZEV market through June.
MyFirstEV launched with $135.5 million in state funding, matched by automakers for about $271 million total, offering first-time buyers $3,500 off new EVs under $50,000 or $1,750 off used ones under $25,000 at the point of sale.
Tesla's eligible pool is narrower than some rivals' because only sub-$50,000 Model 3 and Model Y trims qualify, while the price cap is waived for California-headquartered EV-only automakers such as Rivian and Lucid.
Ford, Rivian, Chevy and Kia are due to join later in August, with Toyota, Honda and Subaru in September, suggesting other brands' allocations may face similar pressure as the program expands.