$20,300 in EV purchase incentives for California rideshare drivers

California's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved a new incentive programme offering rideshare drivers up to $20,300 towards the purchase or lease of a new zero-emission vehicle. The Drivers Assistance Program is aimed at low- and middle-income drivers working for companies like Uber, Lyft, and HopSkipDrive.

The CPUC first approved the programme’s initial implementation plan on 2 July as part of California’s Clean Miles Standard, with applications due to open in September for eligible Uber, Lyft or HopSkipDrive drivers.

The scheme, which is also known as Rideshare Incentives for Driving Electric (RIDE), targets high-volume rideshare drivers looking to purchase or lease a zero-emission vehicle, here referring to either battery-electric or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Its stated aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rideshare companies (here referred to as “TNCs”, or Transportation Network Companies) by boosting the number of ZEVs operating on their platforms.

Eligible drivers can receive up to US$20,300 towards the cost of a new vehicle, while those purchasing or leasing a used one can receive up to $14,200. The scheme is brand-agnostic. According to CPUC, the programme also provides up to $1,170 per year towards charging costs. The incentives are intended to address higher upfront costs of switching to EVs for drivers who typically accumulate significantly more mileage than private motorists. The CPUC has confirmed that the programme will provide multilingual educational materials, one-on-one support, and online tools to help drivers compare vehicle costs and available incentives.

In a statement, the authority explained that the RIDE programme is funded through a regulatory fee collected from TNCs and administered by the Center for Sustainable Energy, which handles driver applications, incentive payments, outreach and ongoing support.

The initiative forms part of a wider effort in California to maintain EV adoption following the scrapping of federal incentives under the Trump administration in September 2025. To this end, the state introduced its own separate MyFirstEV programme which provides up to $3,500 for eligible first-time ZEV buyers and $1,750 for qualifying used vehicles.