The Massachusetts governor’s office has announced $12 million in funding for the Commonwealth’s electric vehicle rebate program, Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV). The announcement builds upon the Department of Energy Resources’ (DOER) $2 million commitment in January and represents more than double the rebate funding over the lifetime of the MOR-EV program. MOR-EV is administered on DOER's behalf by the Center for Sustainable Energy.

“The adoption of electric vehicles is an important component of the commonwealth’s plan for reducing emissions and meeting our Global Warming Solutions Acts goals,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “With the continued growth and consumer choice for electric vehicles, our administration is committed to working with all stakeholders to promote the host of positive benefits electric vehicles offer.”

Since June 2014, the MOR-EV program has issued or reserved over $6 million for 2,931 vehicles, cutting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions output by an estimated 8,123 short tons annually. Consumers can qualify for rebates ranging from $750-$2,500 on the purchase or lease of more than 25 qualifying new electric vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles.

MOR-EV funding is financed by Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction proceeds, and aims to help reduce reliance on foreign oil and meet Massachusetts’ goals under the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector 7.6 percent by 2020.