Here’s how to get a Tesla Model 3 for around $25k in California

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While an affordable $25,000 Tesla is a dream for the world, this might not be the case for California residents. Yes, in California, you can purchase a Tesla Model 3 for almost $25k, the most affordable Tesla ever.

Even though the federal tax credit has already been phased out for Tesla vehicles, California still offers a good number of perks to lower the price of a Tesla or any other electric vehicle significantly. These include tax credit programs and cash rebate schemes as well.

Other states also offer incentives for transitioning to a zero-emissions vehicle but California is the torch bearer in this sphere.

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When you order a Tesla Model 3, Y, S, or X from the state of California, your purchase order automatically includes a $1,500 California Clean Fuel Reward deduction (see example below) — no need to apply for this grant separately.

Copy of a Tesla Model 3 purchase order with $1,500 California Clean Fuel Reward.
Copy of a Tesla Model 3 purchase order with $1,500 California Clean Fuel Reward. Credits: Ryan Shaw / YouTube (full video below). See eligible EVs for the CCFR program.

After the recent price increase, the purchase price of a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus is now $38,490. After the $1,500 California Clean Fuel Reward deduction, the price goes down to $36,999 — this was only the first step, there’s more.

California residents can also apply for a $5,000 grant offered by the Clean Vehicle Assistance Program (CVAP). This program has eligibility criteria based on individual or family income. Reportedly, approval for this grant usually takes 2 to 3 months. Once you have the approval, you can bring the papers to the Tesla store for processing.

The California Clean Vehicle Assistance Program also offers a $2,000 grant for the installation of charging infrastructure at your home. So this makes a total CA Grant of $7,000 for eligible applicants.

Bay Area residents have another option called the Clean Cars For All program. If this grant is stacked with the above $7k grant, the max of $9,500 rebate can be availed.

This is not the end of Cali perks, there’s another grant named the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP), and luckily, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 both are on the list of eligible vehicles. This is an additional $2,000 rebate for which you can apply online. When approved, you’ll get a $2,000 check in your mailbox — simple and straight.

The CVRP grant also offers an additional $2,500 rebate for low and moderate-income households in the San Joaquin Valley and San Diego County. The CVRP website shows the following notice for applicants:

The option to get preapproved through Rebate Now is currently available for increased rebates to low and moderate-income residents in San Diego County and the counties that make up the San Joaquin Valley who have not yet purchased or leased their vehicle.

Source: California CVRP website

The following table shows a complete break-up of these grants to make sense:

GrantValue ($)
CA Clean Fuel Reward$1,500
CA Clean Vehicle Assistance$7,000
CA Clean Vehicle Assistance (Bay Area)$9,500
CA Clean Vehicle Rebate Project$2,000
CA Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (San Joaquin / San Diego)$4,500
Total (non-Bay Area)$10,500
Total (Bay Area or San Joaquin & San Diego)$13,000

Model 3 Standard Range Plus cost after grants and rebates

AreaPrice
Bay Area$38,450 – $13,000 = $25,450
San Joaquin / San Diego Counties$38,450 – $13,000 = $25,450
Non-Bay Area residents$38,450 – $10,500 = $27,950
Update: Tesla has increased prices once again, and values adjusted based on new prices.

If President Biden’s $174B electric vehicle incentives program brings back the $7,500 federal tax credit to Tesla, the cost of an SR+ Model 3 can go down under $18k.

If the rumors of the Biden administration increasing the federal EV tax credit to $10,000 are proven to be right, the Tesla Model 3 and even Model Y will become more affordable.

With the current lowest cost of $25,450, assuming all rebates and rewards are availed, a Tesla Model 3 SR+ price in California becomes very close to a 2021 Honda Accord.

Price parity with ICE cars is going to make EVs more desirable, and Teslas even more.

Stay tuned for more interesting Tesla news, follow us on:
Google News | Flipboard | RSS (Feedly).

Video: How to get massive tax credits and rebates on a Tesla Model 3 vehicle purchase.
Iqtidar Ali
Iqtidar Alihttp://www.teslaoracle.com
Author of more than 1500 articles on Tesla, SpaceX, and EVs. His work has been liked and tweeted by Elon Musk and other prominent influencers. You can reach him on Twitter @IqtidarAlii

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