Installing EV chargers is one of the smartest upgrades you can make for your business, workplace, or multi-family property — but it doesn’t have to come with a big price tag. Across North America, governments, utilities, and local programs are offering generous EV charging rebates that can offset much (or even all) of your installation or hardware costs.
Whether you’re adding chargers for your employees, attracting eco-conscious customers, or offering a valuable amenity to residents, these rebates make it easier than ever to attract a rapidly growing group of EV drivers.
In this guide, we’ll break down the different types of rebate programs available — and show you how to find and qualify for the best incentives in your area.
Types of rebates
There are four major types of rebate programs available. We will discuss these, but know that there are also some case-by-case or custom rebates that don’t easily fall into any of the following categories.
Prescriptive or standard rebates
Standard, or prescriptive, rebates are the most common type of of program for EV charger rebates. These incentives are structured as a fixed dollar amount per unit, such as charging station, port (concurrently useable connector), or other sub-units. The majority of these rebates are dollars per charging station. A significant minority pay out dollars per port.
Make-ready rebates
Make-ready programs are the second most common type of EV charger rebates, although they differ in what they offer and how they offer it. Some may only cover the utility connectivity components, while others may include any of the costs including construction utility connection, charger install, and charger connection. ChargeLab is registered for several make-ready programs that cover the the cost of the charging station as well. Make-ready programs are seen most frequently for Level 3 / DCFC rebates.
Instant / point of purchase / midstream rebates
These rebates involve implementing the rebate at the point of purchase so that the customer doesn’t have to wait for a check in the mail. They’re usually set up so that a customer can order a charger directly from the program website. These programs are almost always for residential charging rebates, and are not very common.
Turnkey / direct install programs
With turnkey rebate, the program handles the entire process, including procuring the EV charger to completing the installation. This process simplifies the whole process for the customer and reduces the amount of coordination they need to handle. Typically, the installer deducts the rebate from the total cost on the final invoice.
Rebate Requirements
Once you’ve identified the type of rebate you’re going to be working with, you need to identify if the available funding has specific requirements for what you’re going to have installed. There are typically four categories.
No/minimal requirements
A customer can simply purchase your hardware of choice, provided that it meets some minimal qualifications such as EnergyStar certifications and safety certifications.
Hardware requirements
A customer must purchase hardware that meets the program’s specific requirements, which may include things like number of connectors, type of connectors, cable length, minimum speed ratings, and operating temperature. Programs using specific hardware requirements will typically have a Qualified Vendor List of approved hardware that meets the requirement specifications.
Network requirements
Similarly to hardware requirements, a customer must purchase hardware that is connected to a network that meets certain requirements. These requirements may include the ability to report on a set of metrics, Wifi or cellular compatibility, communication protocol conformance, or multi-language support. Programs with network requirements will typically have a Qualified Vendor List of approved networks that meet the requirement specifications.
Programs with network requirements will typically require a conformance period of several years during which the participating network reports on charging activity on all chargers that received rebates as part of the program.
ChargeLab is registered as a Qualified Vendor on over 90% of available rebate programs in Canada and the United States. For any charger on our network that has received a rebate, we take care of the reporting for you!
Hardware and network requirements
Programs that have both hardware and network requirements combine the requirements as listed above, where each participating charging station must meet all hardware and network requirements, and will also often use a Qualified Vendor List. Similarly, there are reporting requirements for the networks to send data on participating chargers.
Help finding rebates in your area
Now that you’ve read the different types, how do you go about finding a rebate in your area? ChargeLab’s website has an EV charger rebate finder for Canada and the United States. When you find a rebate that matches your situation, click the link for more details.
ChargeLab stays up to date with new programs as they launch to make sure that we can be available in any jurisdiction to support the expansion of EV chargers. Check back soon if you don’t find the rebate you were hoping for today.
