California EV Rebates Reach 12,000 Buyers, Chargers Lag

California’s MyFirstEV rebate has helped nearly 12,000 first-time buyers purchase vehicles since launching in August, offering $3,500 off eligible new EVs and $1,750 off qualifying used ones through a state-and-automaker-funded program. The used-car discount is difficult to access: eligible vehicles must meet price, age, certification and seller requirements, and a recent search found just 32 qualifying used EVs statewide, nearly all Ford Mustang Mach-Es. The program’s uptake comes as EV sales have weakened in California and nationally, with the removal of federal incentives cited as a factor, even as California’s third-quarter EV share remained well above the national rate. Meanwhile, charging infrastructure is lagging the state’s projected needs: California estimates it will require 478,000 public charging ports by 2030, compared with about 224,000 public and limited-access ports counted in June.