California launches $10M car repair freebies — only for EVs | Latest Tech News

The state of California might decide up the tab for personal car repairs as half of an under-the-radar program — but only if you own an EV.

The California Air Resources Board has quietly launched a $10 million program that pays for battery repairs up to $7,500 for electric autos — or, if the battery can’t be salvaged, up to $10,000 if you select to buy or lease a new car.

Called the Zero-Emission Assurance Project, the plan launched statewide on March 30.

California will decide up the tab for battery repairs for electric autos under a $10 million program. MediaNews Group via Getty Images

Anyone who has “purchased and continuously owned a used zero-emission vehicle” through two state funding help applications — CARB Financing Assistance or Clean Cars 4 All —  is eligible, according to a state web site.

The program covers up to $7,500 in repairs for failed battery or fuel cell parts not coated by a guarantee. If the battery can’t be salvaged, the state will subsidize the acquisition of a new EV at up to $10,000.

“ZAP is available to anyone who purchased a used [vehicle] through one of CARB’s vehicle purchase incentive programs … who suspect that their vehicle’s critical battery or fuel cell components are in need of major repair,” explained Lindsay Buckley, spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board.

The freebies are the outcome of Assembly Bill 193, handed in 2018 by former assemblymember and current state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, representing Riverside, and signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown.

The $10 million program was funded through Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2022 price range — a trailer invoice tucked inside a large $2.5 billion spending plan to enhance zero-emission autos.

The battery repair incentive launched in choose counties before rolling out statewide last month. To date, no EVs have been repaired through this system, though “a handful of vehicles have undergone initial inspections,” Buckley said.

State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes launched the rebate plan in 2018. AP

California has pushed aggressively to develop electric autos to help meet a controversial mandate that 100% of autos offered in the state be zero-emission by 2035. Lawmakers’ main ways to drive shopper gross sales are hefty subsidies — like a $7,500 Clean Vehicle Rebate Program that ended in 2023 — and Republicans have slammed the concept of taxpayer subsidies for personal car purchases.

“California is now using taxpayer dollars to bail out a policy failure it created. After pushing aggressive electric vehicle mandates and subsidies, the state is admitting that many of these vehicles are experiencing costly battery failures that consumers cannot afford to fix,” Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, told The Post.

“Instead of reconsidering the policy, regulators are doubling down by socializing the repair costs. This is what happens when government picks winners and ignores reliability, durability, and real-world consumer demand,” he said.

“California is beyond parody. They actively work to perpetuate poverty and energy shortages,” wrote Jason Hayes of the America First Policy Institute on X.

“Then, when they get poverty and energy shortages, they create programs to steal money from average citizens and bail out the people who bought into their lies,” he added.

California’s controversial zero-emissions mandate is under risk from Republican lawmakers. Bloomberg via Getty Images

After President Donald Trump killed federal EV incentives and blocked California’s zero-emission mandate last yr, Newsom announced a $200 million rebate plan to enhance California’s lagging EV market, though specifics are still forthcoming.

House Republicans have launched an investigation into California’s zero-emissions mandate, subpoenaing California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez this week for paperwork concerning the mandate.

“Forcing Americans to buy unreliable, and costly, EVs would eliminate consumer choice, strain our electric grid, raise costs, and increase our reliance on entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party,” House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) completely told The Post.

An Air Resources Board spokesperson indicated the board would cooperate with the probe.

“California’s longstanding authority under the Clean Air Act and the actions CARB has taken to protect public health and welfare in the state,” said a spokersperson.

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