Frequently Asked Questions

• Vehicle price $12,000 or more → rebate is $4,000  
• Vehicle price $8,333–$11,999 → rebate is 30% of vehicle price  
• Vehicle price under $8,333 → rebate is $2,500, but may not exceed the purchase price  

Important: You may only apply for one rebate. A Charge Ahead Rebate may not be combined with a Standard Rebate. By definition, a rebate may not be more than the total vehicle purchase price.

Once an application has been approved, we will send an email from oregoncvrp@energycenter.org

Rebate funds will be distributed within 75 calendar days of application approval, contingent upon availability of funds.

Individuals (Oregon Residents) can apply for the Standard or Charge Ahead Rebate at the time of purchase or lease, called point of sale, of a new or used vehicle at a Participating Dealership. Only Participating Dealerships may offer the rebate at the point of sale. You can find the locations of Participating Dealers on this map. If you purchased or leased your vehicle through a Participating Dealer, the dealership will complete and submit the application on your behalf; you will receive the rebate amount off the purchase or lease price.

Applicants must apply for and receive a Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher to qualify for the rebate at the point of sale. This requires completing the prequalification application to verify income eligibility. If the prequalification voucher is not obtained, applicants can only apply for the Charge Ahead rebate post-purchase.

Important: A Charge Ahead Rebate may not be combined with a Standard Rebate. You cannot receive one rebate at the point of sale and the other post-purchase. Dealers must confirm the voucher's validity before applying the rebate to the vehicle purchase or lease.

Organizations (business, nonprofits, and government agencies) cannot apply at point of sale.

Yes, you must submit a rebate application within six (6) months of the date of purchase or lease of your vehicle. For Tesla and other vehicles ordered from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the date of first registration will be considered the date of purchase or lease.

For mailed-in applications, the post-mark date will be used to determine eligibility.

Oregon Residents
If you have not yet purchased or leased a new, eligible EV, you can visit a participating dealership to apply directly at the point of sale. Applicants eligible for the Charge Ahead rebate will need to first get prequalified through DEQ's income verification portal.

Standard and Charge Ahead Rebate for Residents
If you have already purchased or leased your vehicle, start by creating a program account on the online portal. After creating your account, you will land on your program dashboard where you can begin a rebate application. The following documents will be required to submit your rebate application:

• Proof of Oregon residency
• Complete purchase/lease agreement
• Proof of vehicle registration (temporary or permanent)
• Proof of income document (Charge Ahead only)
• Individual Attestation Form (Charge Ahead only)

Standard Rebate for Organizations and Charge Ahead Rebate for low-income service providers
Start by creating a program account on the online portal. After creating your account, you will land on your program dashboard where you can begin a rebate application. The following documents will be required to submit your rebate application:

• Organization Attestation Form
• Complete purchase/lease agreement
• Proof of vehicle registration (temporary or permanent)
• Business license or articles of incorporation
• Proof of 501(c)(3) (Charge Ahead Low-income service provider only)

Low-income service providers that are eligible for the Charge Ahead rebate will need to attest to being registered as a 501(c)(3) that provides health, dental, social, financial, energy conservation or other assistive services to low- income households in Oregon.

Important: You may only apply for one rebate type. A Charge Ahead Rebate may not be combined with a Standard Rebate.

Visit our sample supporting documents PDF.

No, we are unable to accept emailed applications due to security and privacy concerns. Please apply online by creating a program account on the online portal. You may request a paper application by mail by emailing oregoncvrp@energycenter.org.

Once we have received your application, we will send an email from oregoncvrp@energycenter.org with additional steps. After reviewing your application, CSE will notify you of your eligibility by email. The notification will state your application (a) is approved, (b) is incomplete and you will need to send additional information or (c) is ineligible and you do not qualify for a rebate.

If applying for a Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher, you will need to provide DEQ with information about your household size, members, contact information and either:

1. Proof of current enrollment in an eligible public assistance program (a detailed list can be found below), or
2. Authorization for the Oregon Department of Revenue to review your Oregon State Tax transcripts to verify you meet the income requirements.

If applying post-purchase or lease, you will need to submit a completed and signed IRS Form 4506-C for all household members age 18 and older and a Household Summary Form OR proof of enrollment in an eligible public assistance program at the time your vehicle was purchased. If you participated in a public assistance program at the time you purchased or leased your vehicle, an IRS Form 4506-C form is not required. Please provide documentation indicating program participation for the year in which you applied for the rebate. Accepted public assistance programs include:

• Oregon Health Plan/Medicaid
• SNAP: Acceptance Letter
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Free and Reduced-Price Lunch
• LIHEAP (home energy assistance)
• Employment-related daycare
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

For Applicants who are not qualified through a public assistance program and have not filed the tax year requested, CSE will request income and asset documentation. Examples of additional documentation may include W-2s, bank statements, etc.

Please see the OCVRP Implementation Manual for additional detail.

CSE will verify income by requesting a tax transcript from the IRS for the Applicant, and all other household members age 18 and older, from the year the vehicle was purchased or leased. If the tax transcript for that year is not available at the time the application is processed, the one from the previous year as required will be requested. For example, for any application submitted before May 15, 2027, CSE will refer to 2025 tax transcripts if the 2026 tax year has not been filed.

Please see the OCVRP Implementation Manual for additional detail.

The Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program (OCVRP) reviews your households total adjusted gross income (AGI) to determine income eligibility.

The Administrator will review the following sections of an applicant’s federal tax return to determine the annual adjusted gross income:

1. On IRS Form 1040: Line 11

DEQ can provide documents in an alternate format or in a language other than English upon request. Call DEQ at (800) 452-4011 or email deqinfo@deq.state.or.us.

Yes. In order to receive a rebate, your vehicle must be purchased through a licensed vehicle dealership or an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). If a vehicle is purchased through an OEM, the OEM cannot have any licensed, franchised, new automobile dealerships in Oregon.

No, only Oregon residents or business, nonprofits, and government agencies domiciled in Oregon qualify for the rebate. The vehicle must also be registered in Oregon for two years.

If the buyer is an Oregon resident and the vehicle is registered in Oregon, vehicles purchased outside of Oregon may qualify. If purchasing a vehicle outside of Oregon, the vehicle will be subject to the Oregon Vehicle Use Tax.

Using Internet Explorer (IE) for the online application process is no longer supported. You may encounter performance or functional issues when using this browser to submit an application. For the best experience, we recommend using the most current version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge when applying.

An organization that provides health, dental, social, financial, energy conservation or other assistive services to low or moderate income households in Oregon. Providers must be registered as a 501(c)(3) organization based in Oregon or have an Oregon-based affiliate at the time the eligible vehicle is purchased or leased.

Your application number is listed in your confirmation email. It can also be found in your dashboard after you start the application. 

If you did not receive a confirmation email, please check you junk mail and add oregoncvrp@energycenter.org to your safe senders list for future emails. If you cannot find your application number, please contact OCVRP staff.  

In an effort to conserve limited rebate funding and ensure more applicants are able to access the program, the rebate limit is set at a total of two rebates per individual.

If you created a password and forgot it: Reset your password now.

Follow the directions to request a link to create/reset your new password. Be sure to check your junk mail and add oregoncvrp@energycenter.org to your safe senders list. 

It counts as one towards the lifetime rebate limit. If an applicant received the Charge Ahead and Standard Rebate for the same vehicle, that would be considered one rebate. A Charge Ahead Rebate issued to an applicant for one vehicle and a Standard Rebate issued to the same applicant for another vehicle would be considered two rebates and that applicant would no longer be eligible for an individual rebate.

If you have more than one file for a supporting document, here are some ways to combine multiple files into one document:

1. Combine multiple pdf pages into one pdf document.
2. Combine your files into a zip folder.

A “Total Loss” or “salvaged” vehicle includes:

• A vehicle declared a total loss by the insurer obligated to cover the loss, or a vehicle the insurer takes possession of, or title to. This applies to both damaged and stolen vehicles. 
• A stolen vehicle, if not recovered within 30 days of the date of the theft, when an insurer does not cover the loss. 
• A vehicle that has sustained damage that is not covered by an insurer and the estimated cost to repair the vehicle is equal to at least 80 percent of the retail market value of the vehicle prior to the damage. “Retail market value” is determined by using publications relied upon by financial institutions doing business in Oregon.

The word “totaled” appears on Oregon titles or salvage titles issued for vehicles that have been declared totaled. The word “totaled” is in addition to any other brand or designation such as “assembled,” “reconstructed,” “replica,” or “flood”. However, “totaled” may appear alone on a salvage title.

Yes. The address on your driver’s license does not need to match the address on your application. However, the name on your driver’s license must match the name on the application. 

Rebate amounts were decreased in an effort to conserve funding and ensure more applicants are able to access the program.

Charge Ahead Applicants can apply for a prequalification voucher through a DEQ webform. Applicants must complete a webform providing DEQ with their name, driver’s license number, contact information, household member information and proof of income eligibility. Proof of income can be demonstrated by providing proof of enrollment in an approved public assistance program or by authorizing the Department of Revenue to verify household income through State of Oregon tax transcripts.

Applications received prior to the date of purchase/lease will be cancelled and will have to reapply, if they remain eligible. Extensions will not be granted. 

For the Used Charge Ahead rebate, rebate amounts are determined by the vehicle price. Applicants should confirm the rebate amount using the rebate calculator prior to applying the rebate at point of sale.

DEQ reserves the right to request participation from Applicants in ongoing research efforts that support OCVRP goals. The Administrator shall administer vehicle owner surveys to Applicants to collect data and other information pertaining to eligible vehicle ownership. DEQ will coordinate with the Administrator to identify survey parameters and determine the most effective mechanism for obtaining information. Applicants are expected to participate in ongoing research efforts and surveys as a condition of receiving the rebate.

Vehicle manufacturers must apply for OCVRP eligibility with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and meet a number of program requirements. For a vehicle to be eligible, it must be listed on the program’s eligible vehicle list.

Generally, a vehicle may be eligible for the OCVRP if it meets the following criteria:

• Is a battery electric vehicle, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, electric motorcycle, or a neighborhood electric vehicle (“eligible vehicle"), as those terms are defined in statute and rule.
• Have a base MSRP of $50,000 or less.
• Have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVRW) of 8,500 pounds or less.
• Meet super ultra-low emission vehicle standards for exhaust emissions, as certified to standards in California Code of Regulations, Title 13, section 1961(a)(4)(2003). 
• Has an onboard electrical energy storage device with useful capacity of 10 or more miles of urban dynamometer driving schedule range.

OCVRP does not issue a 1099 for your rebate. We cannot offer tax advice of any kind, and advise you to contact a certified public accountant or tax professional regarding the taxability of the OCVRP rebate.

Each individual may receive up to two (2) OCVRP rebates over their lifetime. For purposes of this limit, a vehicle that previously received both a Standard Rebate and a Charge Ahead Rebate counts as one rebated vehicle. If you have already received rebates for one vehicle, you remain eligible for one additional rebated vehicle. If you have already received rebates for two vehicles, you have reached the lifetime limit and are no longer eligible for another OCVRP rebate

Organizations such as businesses, nonprofits, Oregon state and municipal governments and other public entities are limited to 10 rebates per calendar year.

All Applicants that have had an application denied or canceled will receive a written explanation from oregoncvrp@energycenter.org to the email address on file. Rebate applications that have been denied or canceled by the Administrator may be appealed within sixty (60) calendar days of the date of denial/cancellation. The appeal letter must set forth all facts that form the basis for the appeal. If the only basis for an appeal is that the Applicant disagrees with the policies set forth in the OCVRP Terms and Conditions, the Implementation Manual, and Oregon Administrative Rule Chapter 340 Rule Chapter 340 Division 270, DEQ will deny the appeal. A formal letter must be postmarked with proper postage within sixty (60) calendar days of application denial/cancellation and addressed to: 

Oregon DEQ 
OCVRP – Appeals
700 NE Multnomah St, Suite 600 
Portland, OR 97232 

Applicants may also email their formal appeal letter to OCVRPAppeals@deq.oregon.gov within sixty (60) days of the application denial/cancellation. Emailed appeals must note “OCVRP Appeal” in the subject line of the email.

DEQ will respond to an appeal in writing as soon as it is practicable. DEQ’s response to an appeal is an order in other than a contested case.

Rebate availability depends on program funding at the time of vehicle purchase or lease. If OCVRP funds are depleted, the program will be suspended until funds are available again. At DEQs discretion, a waitlist may be available for vehicles purchased or leased during the program’s open period.

Rebated vehicles must be registered in Oregon and stay in the possession of the applicant for 24 consecutive months from the original purchase or lease date. Resale of a vehicle or return to a dealer may be allowed within this 24-month period if necessitated by unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Vehicle provision waivers may be approved by DEQ on a case-by-case basis. If you are no longer in possession of your rebated vehicle, please send an email to oregoncvrp@energycenter.org to discuss your available options.

DEQ verifies vehicle ownership through periodic checks of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) in the Oregon DMV database. If a vehicle purchaser or lessee sells or returns the rebated vehicle to the dealer and does not receive prior approval, DEQ or its designee reserves the right to recoup OCVRP funds from the original vehicle purchaser identified on the rebate form and may pursue other remedies available under the law for unauthorized early termination of vehicle ownership. 

Total vehicle price is defined as: base price, additional features, and packages (battery upgrades, autonomous upgrades, wheel/tire packages, paint, audio/infotainment). It excludes OEM/dealer discounts, taxes, title, license/registration fees, pre-order fees, document processing fees, and maintenance/warranty/repair packages from the dealership. The price of your vehicle can be found on your purchase or lease agreement by itemized lines such as “Gross Capitalized Cost”, “Cash Price”, etc. 

Charge Ahead Prequalification vouchers are generally issued for 60 days, or no longer than the program’s open window for that year. All vouchers must be used while the program is open, regardless of the expiration date listed on the voucher. Any vehicles purchased or leased while the program is suspended are NOT eligible for the rebate.

Our team asks that you add OCVRP’s email domain – @energycenter.org – to your email safe sender list to prevent our emails from being blocked or landing in your spam folder. Notifications regarding your rebate application status and required follow-up action are sent by email. Missed emails may result in application cancellation and processing delays.

What is an email safe sender list?

For guidance on adding OCVRP’s email domain to your safe sender’s list, click the name of your email client below:

• AOL
• Gmail
• MSN Hotmail (Classic)
• Outlook
• Windows Live Hotmail
• Yahoo! Mail

If your email client is not listed, please perform an internet search for “how to add a domain to my safe sender list for [insert your email client name here]”. You may also click one of the links above and edit the email client in the search bar to your own.

Periodically check your Spam / Junk / Bulk mail folders in case one of our emails still gets caught in your filters. If you find one of our emails in your Spam folder, please mark it as “Not Spam.”

In an effort to conserve limited rebate funding and ensure more applicants are able to access the program, the rebate limit includes any previously issued rebates. 

Dealers can apply  to be a participating dealership anytime. Before starting the enrollment process, please review the step-by-step instructions on the Become a Participating Dealership page.

To provide the rebates as "cash on the hood”, you will need to collect, complete and submit the following information for each Applicant.

1. Proof of temporary or permanent Oregon vehicle registration
2. Copy of the sales or lease contract
3. Proof of Oregon residency (e.g., Oregon driver license)
4. A signed Rebate Assignment Form
5. A valid Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher number. (Charge Ahead only)
6. Attestation Form (Charge Ahead only)

The Participating Dealer must fill out the point-of-sale application online on behalf of the Applicant. The Applicant must sign the Rebate Assignment Form, and the dealer must upload the Rebate Assignment Form to the online application as a required document.

No, all dealership point-of-sales applications must be completed online and submitted electronically through the dealership program account on the secure OCVRP website.

Vehicles must be continuously registered in Oregon for a minimum of twenty-four (24) months. Vehicles must be purchased or leased while the program is open and through a vehicle dealership licensed in the state of Oregon or an original equipment manufacturer that does not have licensed dealerships in the state of Oregon; no person-to-person sales are eligible.

Additionally, individuals are limited to a total of two rebates from 2018 through the lifetime of the program. Businesses are limited to 10 rebates per year.

For applicants purchasing or leasing a used vehicle, these vehicles must also:

• Be operable and capable of travelling at a speed of 55 mph or more,
• Have not been declared a totaled vehicle or have a salvage title, 
• If a battery electric vehicle, able to travel 75 miles or more using only electricity 
• If a plug-in hybrid vehicle, able to travel at least 10 miles using only electricity and be within the 15 year/150,000 mile warranty 

Charge Ahead applicants must also complete an Attestation Form confirming the applicant or a household member has not previously owned the rebated vehicle and that they plan to use it primarily for household use.

DEQ receives annual funding for the rebate program. Rebate availability depends on program funding. 

Due to high demand and limited funding, OCVRP will be open for a short time in 2026. Vehicles must be purchased or leased August 25, 2026, through November 4, 2026 to qualify. Any vehicles purchased or leased prior to August 25, 2026, while the program was suspended, are NOT eligible to apply for Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebates. Purchases or leases made after will not be eligible for Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebates. Applicants will be placed on waitlist if rebate funds are depleted.

All Participating Dealers must have a W9 on file to remain in financial compliance with the OCVRP. If you have not provided your W9 upon enrollment, please submit your form to the OCVRP Dealer Team at DealerOCVRP@energycenter.org.

All Charge Ahead Rebate applicants must be prequalified first and have a prequalification voucher ready at point-of-sale to have the Charge Ahead Rebate applied. If an applicant is not prequalified, but believes they qualify for the Charge Ahead Rebate, they must apply for the Charge Ahead Rebate post purchase and dealers should not be providing any rebates at point-of-sale. A Charge Ahead Rebate may not be combined with a previously issues Standard Rebate.

Individuals who reside in Oregon and have not yet received two (2) rebates in their lifetime are eligible for a point-of-sale rebate. Dealers should confirm an individual’s eligibility prior to sale by entering their Oregon Driver’s License number in the dealership application portal. 

For the Used Charge Ahead rebate, rebate amounts are determined by the vehicle price. Dealers should confirm the rebate amount using the rebate calculator prior to applying the rebate at point of sale. A valid Charge Ahead Prequalification Voucher is required to provide the Charge Ahead rebate at time of sale. Dealers can verify voucher validity by entering the voucher and applicant information in the Voucher Search portal. Do not provide point of sale Standard or Charge Ahead rebates without confirming individual eligibility. Point of sale rebates are not available for businesses/non-profits.

Training is highly encouraged and always available upon request. Please contact the OCVRP Dealer Team to schedule: DealerOCVRP@energycenter.org

Vehicles previously used as dealership floor models and test drive vehicles (dealer demos and executive dealer demos) are eligible for the new rebate only if the vehicles have not been previously registered and have an odometer reading of less than 7,500 miles at the time of purchase.

In the event of an unwind, rollback, or return of a rebated vehicle, the Participating Dealership must notify the Administrator by emailing oregoncvrp@energycenter.org with details of the change in status of the purchase or lease within three (3) business days. If the rebate payment to the dealership for the vehicle has already been initiated, then the Administrator will provide instructions to repay the rebate funds. If the rebate payment has not yet been initiated, it will be cancelled since the purchase or lease agreement in which the rebate was included is no longer in effect.

Participating dealerships must apply the full OCVRP rebate to the purchase or lease price of an eligible vehicle at the time of sale or lease. After the transaction is complete, the dealership may submit a rebate application through the Program Website to request reimbursement from the Program Administrator.

The Administrator will review the application to verify that all program requirements have been met. Reimbursement will be issued only after the application is approved.

Dealerships may not:

• Delay applying the rebate until reimbursement is approved. 
• Provide the rebate by issuing a check after the sale or lease is completed. 
• Recover the value of a denied or cancelled rebate from the customer if the denial resulted from a dealership error. 
• Delay vehicle delivery or impose additional charges, markups, payment contingencies, or holds related to the rebate.

Whenever possible, the purchase or lease agreement should clearly show that the OCVRP rebate was applied at the time of sale.