Electric Cars For Sale in San Francisco, CA (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth buying electric car in California? ›

From a cost perspective, yes, it is a good time to buy. Federal and state incentives are bringing certain EVs on par with the cost of gas vehicles.

The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) promoted clean vehicle adoption in California by offering rebates from $1,000 to $7,500 for the purchase or lease of new, eligible zero-emission vehicles, including electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles.

Available rebates and tax credits

The State of California provides a rebate of $1,000 to $4,500 through the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) for the purchase or lease of qualified cars. Qualifying low-income households may receive an additional $2,500 rebate.

By the numbers: At a public charging station in California, it costs an average of $0.50 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to charge an electric car at a public charging station in California, according to data gathered by Stable Auto, an EV charger software developer. That's compared to the national average of $0.45 per kWh.

Purchasing an electric car can give you a tax credit starting at $2500. Other tax credits are available if the battery size is 5kWh with a cap of $7500 credit if the battery exceeds 16kWh.

Plan on a service life of between eight and 12 years if your EV is regularly used in more extreme conditions. As of 2023, the average age of all passenger vehicles in the U.S. is currently 12 and a half years old. Your EV's battery health might never even come under consideration.

That means that any EV models from 2022 or older are eligible for a rebate during 2024. The Electrify Your Ride Program offers 3CE customers that purchase a new battery-electric vehicle with a rebate of $2,000. Customers that purchased a used battery-electric vehicle are eligible for a $1,000 rebate.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) offers rebates up to $1,500 to residential electric customers for the purchase of eligible pre-owned EVs.

The California Air Resources Board offers point-of-sale rebates of up to $750 for the purchase or lease of a new all-electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle through the Clean Fuel Reward Program. Eligible EVs must have a minimum battery capacity of 5 kilowatt-hours and be purchased from participating retailers.

“The cheapest way to charge your electric car is almost always at home, overnight. Some utilities have special low rates for the overnight period when their demand is lightest.”

Is charging an electric car cheaper than gas in California? ›

Hawaii and California have relatively expensive electricity prices, so charging an EV in those states costs considerably more than in other parts of the country. On the other hand, gasoline is pricey in those locations, too, so EVs still end up being cheaper to fuel.

The average cost of charging an electric car at home can vary depending on the electricity rates in your location and the fuel efficiency of your car. Assuming the efficiency of 3 miles per kWh and the national average electricity cost of $0.16 per kWh, it would cost $16 to charge your car for 300 miles at home.

A 2020 Consumer Reports study similarly showed that EV drivers tend to spend about 60 percent less each year on fuel costs compared to drivers of gas-powered cars.

AAA estimates that the electricity needed to drive 15,000 miles per year in a compact EV costs an average of $546. The organization estimates that with a similar gas-powered vehicle, it would cost $1,255 to drive the same distance. Using those estimates, driving an EV can save you $709 in fuel costs annually.

It's estimated that by 2035, California will need more than an additional 2 million chargers to support the electric car transition. According to the air resource board, the number of DC Fast chargers, which can recharge a vehicle battery in about 30 minutes, is growing to meet this demand.

Separately, California's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project also offers between $1,000 and $7,500 in tax credits for the purchase of certain new EVs. The Model 3 is eligible for the full $7,500, bringing the total amount of federal and state tax credits to $15,000.