Resources

Application Resource Guide

If you need help obtaining required documents or applying to CC4A, see the Application Resource Guide. The Application Resource Guide has required documents checklist, instructions on how to access those documents, how to create a Fluxx account and tips on filling out your CC4A application.

Choosing a Mobility Option

When considering which vehicle option to purchase or lease, consider your average daily mileage. If you drive less than 40 miles a day, almost any EV option will meet your needs. If you drive more than 80 miles a day, you should consider a long-range vehicle. Here are some resources to learn more about various clean vehicles:

Alternative Fuels Data Center – Find information about electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, including production and distribution, and research and development. Learn more about electric vehicles, locate electric charging stations and charging infrastructure. Find laws and incentives in your area related to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. For fuel cell electric vehicles, locate hydrogen fueling stations and learn about hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Find hydrogen transportation laws and incentives in your area.
Electric for All – Education for the public regarding the state of electric car technology and its importance to a clean and healthy environment in a non-commercial manner.

All vehicles must be purchased or leased through participating dealerships. However, these sites may be helpful when shopping for the right vehicle: DriveClean, TrueCar, and PlugStar.

Consider Electricity Rate

SMUD provides Time-of-Day Rates to save money by shifting electricity use to off-peak hours (before 5pm and after 8pm). SMUD also provides electric vehicle rates that residents can participate in. Contact SMUD for more information.

Charging and Charging Stations

Chargers
Level 1 Uses an ordinary household current Uses a standard 120V outlet Takes about 8-20 hours for full charge Adds 5 miles per hour charged No set-up costs
Level 2 Requires Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) installation Uses a 240V circuit Takes about 4-8 hours for a full charge Adds 12-20 miles per hour charged May require panel upgrade by a qualified electrician Available at some work or public sites
Level 3 (DC Fast Charger) Not for residential installations, used in public charging stations Uses a 480V circuit Takes 20 mins to reach 80% charge Requires a special plug receptacle on vehicle

Chargers

Level 1

Uses an ordinary household current
Uses a standard 120V outlet
Takes about 8-20 hours for full charge
Adds 5 miles per hour charged
No set-up costs

Level 2

Requires Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) installation
Uses a 240V circuit
Takes about 4-8 hours for a full charge
Adds 12-20 miles per hour charged
May require panel upgrade by a qualified electrician
Available at some work or public sites

Level 3 (DC Fast Charger)

Not for residential installations, used in public charging stations
Uses a 480V circuit
Takes 20 mins to reach 80% charge
Requires a special plug receptacle on vehicle

Find Charging Stations

These websites provide information about local charging stations: SMUD, City of Sacramento, Alternative Fuels Data Center, ChargeHub, and ChargePoint.

Funding for Charging

Funding for charging infrastructure is available to participants who select plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV). There are two options: EVSE and EVgo charging credit.

EVSE is a Level 2 charger and installation must be made through Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Participants who choose this option may receive up to $2,000 in funding if residential installation is feasible and when funds are available.
EVgo charging credit is a prepaid card for participants to charge at EVgo and ChargePoint charging stations. Participants who choose this option may receive up to $2,000 in charging credit when funds are available. See map of EVgo and ChargePoint charging stations here.

Financing and Insurance

Case managers aren't able to provide financial advice but suggest the following resources:

Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC): This program provides financial literacy and counseling. Please note CHDC is not stackable with CC4A. This is being provided for informational purposes only.
Beneficial State Bank: This bank provides Clean Vehicle Financing for California residents with a household income under a certain threshold.
California's Low Cost Auto Insurance: This is a state-sponsored program that makes auto insurance affordable, helping you drive responsibly and legally.

Vehicle Buying 101, YouTube, Clean Vehicle Assistance Program, Jan. 29, 2020

El 101 de La Compra de Un Vehículo, YouTube, Clean Vehicle Assistance Program, Feb. 5, 2020

Other Clean Car Grants and Rebates

Here are programs that are stackable with CC4A:

Program	New Vehicle	Used Vehicle	Type	Comments
Federal Tax Credit	Max $7,500	Max $4,000	Tax Credit	Only PHEV and BEV are eligible for tax credit, depending on battery capacity and manufacturer.

Outreach Toolkit

Help us spread the word about Clean Cars 4 All! No one knows your community like you!

These resources have been developed to spread the word about CC4A, but we invite you to make modifications that make sense and increase the effectiveness of these promotions. Representation and equity are cornerstones of this program. We are reaching out to you to help us build awareness of this program in your community. Please share this toolkit with organizations and individuals you think would benefit from the CC4A program. We appreciate your organization’s time, effort, and feedback.

Follow Sac Metro Air District @AQMD on X and California Climate Investments @CAClimateInvest on X and Facebook.

Facebook or Instagram	Need cleaner, more reliable transportation and up to $12,000 in down-payment assistance? Check out Sac Metro Air District’s Clean Cars 4 All program at SacCleanCars4All.org to find out if you are eligible! @CaClimateInvest #CAClimateInvestments #capandtrade #SacCC4A Ready to turn in your 2009 model year or older vehicle for up to $12,000 towards something cleaner and more reliable? Logon to SacCleanCars4All.org to see if Sac Metro Air District’s Clean Cars 4 All @CaClimateInvest program is right for you! #CAClimateInvestments #capandtrade #SacCC4A
Facebook or Instagram	Do you live in Sacramento County? Are you ready to save money and the environment by going electric? Do you have a 2009 model year or older vehicle? Sac Metro Air District and @CaClimateInvest want to help you get into an electric vehicle or electric bike, and they’ll even help you pay for it! Check out Clean Cars 4 All at SacCleanCars4All.org and see if you qualify for up to $12,000 in down-payment assistance. #CAClimateInvestments #capandtrade #SacCC4A
Facebook or Instagram	Is your car costing you too much in gas and repairs? Are you in need of more reliable or safer transportation? If you have an older vehicle that needs replacing, the Sac Metro Air District wants to help! Check out SacCleanCars4All.org and take the eligibility quiz to see if you qualify for up to $12,000 in down-payment assistance in exchange for turning in your older and more polluting vehicle. #CAClimateInvestments #capandtrade #SacCC4A
Facebook or Instagram	Improve #AirQuality and treat yourself - Apply to Clean Cars 4 All! Eligible applicants can receive up to $12,000 from @AQMD for a new or used electric vehicle when you scrap your old car. Visit www.SacCleanCars4All.org to check your eligibility and learn more about the program #SacCC4A #CAClimateInvestments #Capandtrade
Twitter	If you’re in the market for a new car, @AQMD and @CaClimateInvest want to help! Clean Cars 4 All offers grants of up to $12,000 to help income-qualified residents replace their old cars with hybrid or all-electric cars. Check your eligibility at www.SacCleanCars4All.org #SacCC4A
Twitter	Apply for Clean Cars 4 All today! This @AQMD program will give you money to replace your current car with a hybrid or all-electric car. Vehicle and income restrictions apply. See if you’re eligible at www.SacCleanCars4All.org #SacCC4A #CaClimateInvestments #Capandtrade Improve #AirQuality and treat yourself - Apply to Clean Cars 4 All! Eligible applicants can receive up to $12,000 from @AQMD for a new or used electric vehicle when you scrap your old car. Visit www.SacCleanCars4All.org to check your eligibility and learn more about the program #SacCC4A #CAClimateInvestments #Capandtrade
Twitter	If you’re considering replacing a car, go electric and let @CaClimateInvest and @AQMD help pay! Income-eligible applicants can receive up to $12,000 through Clean Cars 4 All for a hybrid or all-electric car. See if you’re eligible at www.SacCleanCars4All.org. #SacCC4A
Twitter	If a new car has been on your radar, now is the time to make it happen! Clean Cars 4 All, funded by @CaClimateInvest and @AQMD, will help pay for a hybrid or all-electric car when you retire a car 15 years or older. Apply now and get up to $12,000! #SacCC4A

Eblast

Subject: Get Up To $12,000 For A Down Payment Through Clean Cars 4 All!

On behalf of the Sac Metro Air District, [your organization] invites you to explore how Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) can benefit you! The District has worked hard to secure California Climate Investment funding for Sacramento County’s income-qualified residents in the form of a point-of-purchase-grant (down-payment). When participants replace a 2009 model-year or older vehicle, they can receive up to $12,000 for a cleaner, safer, and more reliable form of transportation. Like a grant, this money does not have to be paid back. We wish that our community benefits from the resources the Sac Metro Air District has worked hard to secure.

Visit www.SacCleanCars4All.org to take the CC4A Eligibility Quiz and view participant resources.

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Participant Profile

As a single mom with children to provide for and rent skyrocketing, purchasing a new car did not look within reach for Courtny. Receiving the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District’s Clean Cars 4 All award letter (with values as high as $12,000) was a major turning point for Courtny. She immediately took the opportunity to purchase a new car from a participating dealership. Participating dealerships are trained to help Clean Cars 4 All participants find the best plug-in hybrid or all-battery electric vehicle that suits their individual needs.

Like many drivers, Courtny was looking to upgrade to a new vehicle but didn’t know if it made sense to do so right now during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, she had concerns about the ability to afford a new car, especially an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. Courtny found out about the Sac Metro Air District’s Clean Cars 4 All program through her sister. This program offers participants up to $9,500 to purchase or lease a battery electric vehicle, fuel cell vehicle, or plug-in hybrid when they trade in their car with the model year of 2009 or older.

Clean Cars 4 All perfectly fit what Courtny was looking for—the opportunity to trade in her old 2001 Honda with 300,000 miles on it, in exchange for financial support to buy a new or used clean air vehicle. After learning about the program, Courtny immediately went to the Clean Cars 4 All website. There, she was able to begin the process to safely get rid of her old Honda and upgrade to a newer, cleaner, and more efficient car. Courtny greatly appreciated the help she received from a participating dealership where they prepared five different models to show her. After test driving all five cars, Courtny decided to purchase a 2017 Hyundai plug-in hybrid.

When going through the application process, applicants are asked to provide appropriate documentation for their vehicle, residence, income verification, and pass a vehicle operability inspection. While these may seem like daunting tasks, applicants are assigned case managers who support applicants through the entire application and car purchasing processes. Case managers are applicants’ primary contact in the program and work with applicants to make sure they successfully receive an award letter from the program. Case managers also offer guidance and additional resources during the car purchasing phase. Courtny appreciated not being left “high and dry” and maintained communication over email and phone with her case manager throughout the program.

Going from a car with 300,000 miles to a plug-in-hybrid with barely 16,000 miles gives Courtny peace of mind. When you wake up and get ready for work, nobody wants to worry about whether or not their car is going to start or how much gas their car is going to guzzle during the day. Her new car provides her with that sense of relief. Courtny loves that her car is efficient and reliable—saving her time and money at the gas station and repair shop. Plus, her children absolutely love her new car. Clean Cars 4 All is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

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