The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) recently proposed changes to the structure of the Massachusetts rebate program for electric vehicles (EVs), MOR-EV. You can share your feedback on the proposed changes with DOER in writing or by attending a virtual or in-person public hearing. Here are all the details!

The Proposed Changes

MOR-EV has been helping Massachusetts drivers make the switch to EVs since 2014. In that time, it's gone through several iterations, with different rebate amounts and eligibility requirements. DOER is now proposing several changes to make the program more cost-effective and equitable.

As it stands, MOR-EV currently offers:

• $3,500 for new battery-electric vehicles with a sales price under $55,000 to Massachusetts residents, businesses, and nonprofits

• $3,500 for used battery-electric vehicles with a sales price under $40,000 to income-eligible Massachusetts residents

• An additional $1,500 for low-income Massachusetts residents

• An additional $1,000 for residents trading in an eligible old gas-powered car

• Rebates of various amounts for fleets making the switch to electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicles

(Details on eligibility requirements and incentive amounts can be found here.)

DOER is now proposing to:

• Drop the sales price cap from $55,000 to $45,000 for new vehicles and from $40,000 to $35,000 for used vehicles;

• Equalize the eligibility requirements for MOR-EV Used and MOR-EV+, so that you’re eligible for both if you participate in an income-qualifying program or if your Modified Adjusted Gross Income is under a certain limit ($150,000 for joint filers, $112,500 for heads of household, $75,000 for single filers);

• Reduce the rebate for pickup trucks and other Class 2a/b vehicles to $4,500 for individuals, and allow individuals, public fleets, and tribal fleets to qualify for rebates for used pickup trucks that cost less than $55,000.

In addition, the redlined regulations (available here) include other smaller changes, such as:

• Clarifying that individuals may not receive more than two rebates in any three-year period;

• Replacing language around “environmental justice communities” with language around “Burdened Areas,” to make use of the new MassEnviroScreen tool;

• Making public and tribal fleets eligible for MOR-EV Used;

• Addressing transparency by requiring DOER to publish an annual budget, provide monthly updates on the remaining program budget, and notify the public 30 days in advance of any potential pause in funding;

• Changing the sales price caps and incentives for MOR-EV Truck to the following:

Our Thoughts

On the whole, we support the changes proposed by DOER. With limited incentive dollars, it makes sense to target incentives to those who most need them to make the switch by lowering the price cap. (The average cost of a new vehicle in the United States hit $50,000 at the end of 2025, but there are many EVs that start well under that, as you can see on our EV Finder.)

It also makes sense to simplify the incentive structure by equalizing eligibility requirements; we have been hosting webinars on the details of MOR-EV for years, and it's always been a challenge to explain the difference between the two income-qualifying rebates of MOR-EV Used and MOR-EV+.

We're also glad to see a focus on Burdened Areas, so that we can target communities where air pollution specifically is disproportionately high. In addition, we'd love to see a focus on targeting gasoline "super-users" to maximize the emissions impact and fuel cost savings for drivers, as our friends at Coltura detail in this blog post.

Finally, we particularly appreciate the new rules to make information on the status of the budget for MOR-EV more publicly available, as this information will help both advocates like ourselves and consumers looking to make the switch.

With gas prices at record highs for the time of year and heat waves and wildfires reminding us of the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it's a great time to make programmatic changes to make EVs accessible to more people.

Share Your Thoughts

If you'd like to share your thoughts with DOER on these proposed changes, you have a couple of options:

• Submit written comments: Email Morgan.Bowler@mass.gov with your comments attached as a PDF, with the words “2026 MOR-EV RULEMAKING COMMENTS” in the subject line. You have until 5:00 pm on September 4, 2026, to do so!

• Attend a virtual or in-person public hearing: Sign up here for a virtual public hearing at 6 pm on September 1, or attend an in-person public hearing on September 2 from 1 to 3 pm in the 2nd Floor Conference Room of 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114

Leave a comment if you submit feedback or plan to attend a hearing!