New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that more than 5,750 consumers have received rebates to buy electric cars in New York since the State’s Drive Clean Rebate was launched one year ago. (Earlier post.) The initiative provides residents with a rebate of up to $2,000 for the purchase or lease of a new electric car from participating dealers.

Overall, most consumers received rebates of at least $1,100 for their new electric cars. As a result of this initiative, more than 10,000 electric cars were sold in 2017, a 67% increase over 2016.

Rebates have been approved in all 62 counties across New York State. Approximately 33%% of the approved rebates were submitted by Long Island consumers, followed by drivers in the Mid-Hudson Valley (17.4%).

Since the Drive Clean Rebate was announced in March of 2017, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which administers the initiative, has approved more than $7.5 million in rebates for New Yorkers who purchased 35 different types of cars.

Leading car models sold or leased include:

• Toyota Prius Prime, which accounted for more than 38% of rebates;

• Chevrolet Bolt EV, which accounted for 12% of rebates;

• Chevrolet Volt, which accounted for 9% of rebates;

• Ford Fusion Energi, which accounted for 8% of rebates; and

• Kia Soul EV, which accounted for more than 8% of rebates.

Charge NY 2.0: To encourage and support electric car adoption, Governor Cuomo announced a proposal in his State of the State address to increase the number of charging stations across New York by the end of 2021. Under the Governor’s Charge NY 2.0 initiative, at least 10,000 charging stations will be made available and the state will expand clean fuel corridors so clean cars can travel throughout New York’s interstate system and recharge at convenient locations.

Charge NY 2.0 builds on Charge NY, which was launched in 2013 and has a target of 30,000 to 40,000 electric cars on the road by the end of 2018. New York has already met this target by having sold more than 30,000 electric cars as of the end of 2017. In addition, the number of public charging stations has grown from about 500 in 2011 to more than 2,000 statewide.

The Drive Clean Rebate. This $70-million electric car rebate and outreach initiative is aimed at encouraging the growth of clean and non-polluting electric car use in New York and promoting the reduction of carbon emissions in the transportation sector. The goal is to provide rebates to consumers to increase sales and leases and build market momentum, which will in turn drive down vehicle prices for consumers.

Of this, $55 million is dedicated to rebates of up to $2,000 for purchase or lease of a new plug-in hybrid electric car, all-electric car, or hydrogen fuel cell car. The remaining $15 million is to support improving consumer awareness of electric cars and their many benefits, installing more charging stations across the state, developing and demonstrating new electric car-enabling technologies, and other efforts to put more electric cars on New York's roadways.