Update, October 20, 2026: The California MyFirstEV rebate has helped put about 12,000 new clean cars on the road since it launched in August, the California Energy Commission said on October 16. The point-of-sale amounts are unchanged, and Tesla’s allocation is still closed on CARB’s manufacturer list (checked October 20). This update also adds the CEC’s third-quarter sales and charging figures.
California still pays first-time zero-emission buyers at the dealership, not weeks later in the mail. Under MyFirstEV, a California Air Resources Board program funded through California Climate Investments, eligible residents can take $3,500 off a qualifying new battery-electric or fuel-cell vehicle, or $1,750 off an eligible used one, when they buy or lease their first ZEV. The catch that still matters: Tesla’s allocation remains closed, while most other participating brands are still open for new stock, and a shorter list still covers used CPO inventory.
That closed Tesla line is the reason to read the manufacturer list before you order, not after.
What MyFirstEV pays
MyFirstEV is a point-of-sale incentive. The dealer applies it on the worksheet. You do not file a separate rebate form with Sacramento after you drive away.
The combined amounts are:
- New ZEV: $3,500 ($1,750 from the state, $1,750 matched by the manufacturer)
- Used ZEV: $1,750 ($875 state, $875 OEM match)
Only battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles qualify. Plug-in hybrids are out. The buyer has to be a California resident purchasing or leasing their first zero-emission vehicle, with a signed attestation, and the program pays once per person for the life of the program. It is not retroactive. Vehicles ordered before a given OEM turned the incentive on do not get a late credit.
State funding is a one-time $135.5 million pot, matched dollar for dollar by 13 automakers, for a combined $270 million in savings at the point of sale, first-come until each share runs out, and must be spent by September 1, 2031. The law is SB 168 (chaptered July 13, 2026). Retail availability began August 3, 2026, with timing by brand. On August 7, Newsom’s office said Hyundai, Lucid, and Tesla were among the first live.
MyFirstEV can stack with other CARB programs (Driving Clean Assistance, Clean Cars 4 All) and non-CARB incentives. Ask the store to print each line so state money, OEM match, and other credits stay separate.
Price caps, model year, and used rules
For new vehicles, model year must be 2026 or newer. Non-California-headquartered manufacturers face an MSRP cap of $50,000. California-headquartered, ZEV-only makers (statute framing that covers Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla) are exempt from those MSRP and sales-price caps, so a higher-MSRP California ZEV brand can still qualify when a loaded mainstream trim would not.
Used incentives are narrower:
- Purchase from the manufacturer’s certified pre-owned channel only
- Sales price $25,000 or less
- Vehicle at least two model years older than the current year
- Private dealership used inventory is not eligible
OEMs publish which models and trims they enrolled. Confirm the exact VIN and trim on the brand’s MyFirstEV page and on the dealer’s incentive print before you sign. For range, efficiency, and trim context while you shop, our EV Database lists current U.S. models in one place.
Who is open, and who is closed (checked Oct 20, 2026)
CARB’s participating-manufacturers page is the live scoreboard. As checked October 20, 2026:
Available now (new vehicles): Cadillac, Chevrolet, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota
Available now (new and used): Ford, Lucid, Rivian, Volvo
Launching November 2026: Mitsubishi
Closed (funds no longer available): Tesla
Launch timing and dealership participation still vary, and orders placed before an OEM turned the incentive on do not qualify. Re-check CARB’s participating manufacturers list the day you order. Lucid’s MyFirstEV California page is one still-live OEM example. If you were shopping a Tesla only for this rebate, that path is closed; use the open lists instead.
California’s Q3 2026 ZEV market (CEC, Oct 16)
Alongside the MyFirstEV buyer count, the California Energy Commission released third-quarter 2026 sales and charging figures on October 16, 2026.
In Q3, 19.1% of new car sales in California were zero-emission vehicles, a state category that also counts plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars. Battery-electric vehicles made up the vast majority: 68,811 of the 80,392 new ZEVs sold. Battery EVs alone were 16.3% of total new car sales in California, compared with 6.4% nationally. For the U.S. brand picture in the same quarter, see our Q3 2026 US EV sales by brand post.
Model choice keeps growing too. Of the 145 ZEV models the CEC counts on sale in California, 91 are battery-electric. Remember that MyFirstEV itself only covers battery-electric and fuel-cell first ZEVs, not plug-in hybrids.
Charging access and the 2030 port target
As of June 30, 2026, California had 224,438 EV charging ports at public and limited-access sites (grocery stores, workplaces, multifamily housing, and similar). That is up 186% since the CEC started tracking in 2021, and DC fast-charger ports are up 221%. About 23,000 of the publicly accessible chargers are DCFCs. Separately, the state estimates about 1,179,497 chargers already installed at homes with one to four units.
The CEC’s third Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Assessment under AB 2127 says California will need 478,000 charging ports at publicly accessible locations and sites like workplaces and multifamily housing to support an expected 6.8 million EVs in 2030. With 224,438 ports in place today, the state is almost halfway to that estimate.
Related: California’s September charger and HOA package
MyFirstEV is the purchase subsidy. Separately, on September 20, 2026, Governor Newsom signed a package aimed at making chargers easier to build and use, including SB 969 (a faster inspection path for public chargers), SB 1283 (streamlined permitting for related work), and AB 1820 (fewer permitting barriers and fees for charging at apartments and mixed-use buildings). That bill set is about infrastructure and access, not the $3,500 desk credit. Shoppers chasing the rebate should stay on the CARB manufacturer list; the Sept 20 package is the broader state push sitting next to it.
How this sits next to other incentive coverage
Factory cash and other government rebates move on different calendars. See our Canada October EV deals post for EVAP math, and VW Group October 2026 EV incentives for verified U.S. factory bonuses. MyFirstEV is California-only, first-ZEV-only, and OEM-matched. Keep it as its own worksheet line.
FAQ
Who qualifies for the California MyFirstEV rebate?
California residents buying or leasing their first battery-electric or fuel-cell vehicle. Prior ZEV ownership, including in another state, disqualifies you. Plug-in hybrids do not count as ZEVs for this program. One incentive per person for the life of the program, with a signed attestation at the sale.
How much is the California MyFirstEV rebate?
$3,500 combined on an eligible new first ZEV ($1,750 state + $1,750 OEM), and $1,750 combined on an eligible used CPO ZEV ($875 each). Amounts are applied at participating dealers.
How does the point-of-sale credit work?
The dealer or OEM sales channel applies MyFirstEV on the purchase or lease worksheet. It is not a mail-in rebate and not retroactive. Orders placed before a manufacturer turned the incentive on do not get a late credit.
How many people have used MyFirstEV so far?
The California Energy Commission said on October 16, 2026 that the program has helped put about 12,000 new clean cars on the road since its August launch. Funding is still first-come until each manufacturer’s share runs out.
Does Tesla still offer MyFirstEV?
No. CARB’s participating manufacturers list, as checked October 20, 2026, still marks Tesla closed because funds are no longer available. Other brands on that page remain open for new, and some for used.
Can I stack MyFirstEV with other California EV programs?
Yes, with other CARB programs such as Driving Clean Assistance and Clean Cars 4 All, and with non-CARB incentives that still apply. Have the dealer separate each credit on the printout.
Confirm eligibility on California Climate Investments’ MyFirstEV hub, the CARB FAQ, and the participating manufacturers page before you put money down.