The Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program provides a consumer rebate of up to $5,000 for the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV) and a dealer incentive of $300 for each rebated vehicle. The dealer incentive feature is unique among statewide EV rebate programs and has generated interest among EV market stakeholders nationwide. In 2016, the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) conducted a study to understand how the CHEAPR dealer incentive is distributed and used by dealerships, and to explore its effectiveness in promoting the development of the EV market.

Sonoma Clean Power, a community choice electricity provider in Northern California, contracted with the Center for Sustainable Energy to administer a pilot incentive program to support electric vehicle adoption in Sonoma County. The innovative pilot program combined elements of “group buy” and voucher programs to provide a point-of-sale incentive offered through participating dealerships. This evaluation report summarizes the incentive program, evaluation activities including a participant survey and interviews with participating dealers and OEMs, and recommendations to inform future programs.