Frequently asked questions

Funding is available to high-volume drivers on Uber, Lyft, and HopSkipDrive who meet low-to-moderate income eligibility requirements.

RIDE is funded through the Clean Miles Standard (MCS) Regulatory Fee, a mandatory $0.09 flat per-trip fee collected by participating rideshare companies on passenger rides, paid for by the rider. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) uses the fee revenue to support RIDE incentives that help rideshare drivers switch to zero-emission vehicles. 

Full Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCEVs) are eligible for the RIDE program. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and hybrids (HEVs) are NOT eligible for RIDE incentives. All vehicles must be allowed as passenger vehicles on the Uber, Lyft, or HopSkipDrive platforms. Drivers are responsible for ensuring their preferred vehicle is eligible to be driven upon their preferred platform. 

A list of eligible vehicles can be found here.

Applicants will receive $1,170 upon purchase or lease of the vehicle. Applicants are eligible to apply for an additional three years of the Ongoing Charging Incentive after 12 months have passed after their most recent application approval. The charging incentive amount is subject to change year over year. Upon purchase or lease of the vehicle, the Year 1 Ongoing Charging Incentive is automatically applied within 30 days upon approval of the Upfront ZEV Purchase/Lease Incentive. Applicants must continue to meet the Minimum Driving Threshold (4,500 trips in the past 12 months) to renew their funding each year. After 12-months have passed since your application approval, you will receive a notification to the email address you used to apply for your upfront incentive, which will prompt you login to your existing account, where you will indicate if you’d like to apply for your next Ongoing Charging Incentive. Payment will be processed via ACH transfer or check upon request.

New model vehicles will receive an incentive of up to $20,300; used models will receive an incentive of up to $14,200.

The RIDE incentive can cover up to $20,300 for a new eligible vehicle or up to $14,200 for a used eligible vehicle. If the RIDE PA determines that the Applicant has received a combination of incentives that exceed the price of the vehicle, the Upfront ZEV Purchase/Lease Incentive will be reduced to an equal or lesser value of the vehicle purchase price. For the purposes of this evaluation, the vehicle purchase price includes the downpayment, sales tax of the vehicle, the base price of the vehicle, additional features and packages such as battery upgrades, autonomous upgrades, wheel and tire packages, paint options, and audio and infotainment systems. If the overage is not identified at the time of purchase, the Applicant will be responsible for paying back any excess amount to the RIDE PA, at its discretion.

Yes, leasing is permitted with a minimum of a 36-month term. Lease buyouts (e.g., an individual purchasing the same vehicle they were leasing at the end of the lease term) are permitted if the vehicle and Applicant meet the eligibility requirements for a used vehicle. Lease buybacks (e.g., the dealership purchasing the vehicle a consumer was leasing prior to the lease term ending) are not permitted if the vehicle has received a RIDE incentive and the 36-month lease term has not been completed. 

Program Guidelines can be found here, and the terms and conditions can be found here.

Yes, stacking is permitted. Applicants are encouraged to use the ZEV Incentive Finder Tool to identify additional incentives for which they may qualify.

Additionally, if you drive for Uber or Lyft, you may be able to access charging discounts at select charging networks. Please visit Uber or Lyft’s webpage for more information.

If the RIDE PA determines that the Applicant has received a combination of incentives that exceed the price of the vehicle, the Upfront ZEV Purchase/Lease Incentive will be reduced to an equal or lesser value of the vehicle purchase price.

California Uber, Lyft, and HopSkipDrive drivers who meet the following requirements are eligible for RIDE:

• Have a valid California driver’s license.
  • For active-duty military members or their dependents stationed in California, but with permanent residency in another state, military orders may be used as proof of residency, along with a valid out-of-state driver’s license.
• Have a household income at or below four times the Federal Poverty Level. 
• Have driven at least 4,500 passenger trips in the past 12 months across platforms.
• Do not currently own and drive a ZEV on a participating platform. 

Information about the current Federal Poverty Level can be found here. The chart below details current Federal Poverty Level amounts by family size.

Upon submission of your pre-qualification application or post-purchase application without pre-qualification, the RIDE PA will work with Uber, Lyft and HopSkipDrive to aggregate your trip count across the platforms. This verification may take up to 20 business days to complete. This is because the RIDE PA coordinates directly with Uber, Lyft and/or HopSkipDrive to confirm your trip count across all platforms you drive for. This cross-platform verification is what requires the processing time.

The MDT is based on trips, not miles driven. You must complete at least 4,500 passenger trips across participating platforms (Uber, Lyft and/or HopSkipDrive) in the previous 12 months. Trips must begin in California and must be passenger trip; package or delivery trips do not count.

If you haven’t met the 4,500-trip threshold over the past months, you can reapply once you’ve reached it.

Once the RIDE PA receives verification of your trip count from the platforms, we will notify you via email and in the application portal if your trip count is equal to or exceeds the MDT requirement.

You may reapply as frequently as you prefer; however, you will need to resubmit your income verification documentation upon each resubmission. Please note that your Minimum Driving Threshold (MDT) can only be verified once per month, so your trip count will not be reverified more frequently than once per month.

The RIDE program administrator coordinates directly with Uber, Lyft, and/or HopSkipDrive to confirm your trip count across all platforms you drive for. This cross-platform verification is what requires the processing time.  

The trip must be a passenger trip. Trips transporting packages or deliveries do not qualify. The trip must begin in California, as determined by ZIP code.

RIDE requests your vehicle’s VIN from Uber, Lyft, and/or HopSkipDrive to confirm the incentivized vehicle is the one you’re actively driving on the platform. You’ll also be asked to provide your current, valid vehicle registration when applying for the Ongoing Charging Incentive each year.

Vehicles with valid registration purchased or leased within 60 days prior to program launch may submit an application within 30 days after program launch. Vehicles purchased or leased more than 60 days prior to program launch are not eligible. Applicants are still subject to all eligibility requirements.

Under the current program guidelines, applicants are eligible to receive one Upfront ZEV New or Used Purchase/Lease Incentive per calendar year or 12-month period. Applicants can receive up to four (4) Ongoing Charging Incentives, with eligibility renewing every 12-months from the last approval date. To receive the Ongoing Charging Incentive, drivers must continue to meet the Minimum Driving Threshold of 4,500 trips over a 12-month period and confirm they are driving the RIDE purchased vehicle on Uber, Lyft, or HopSkipDrive platforms.

Once verified, income qualification is valid for 5 years. 

Yes, you can find all accepted income qualified programs here.

If you intend to apply the incentive at the point of purchase, pre-qualification approval is required. If you intend to apply for the incentive post-purchase, pre-qualification approval is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED but not required.

Purchasing a vehicle without confirming you are eligible to receive the RIDE incentive will put you at great financial risk.

Applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Proof of California residency: copy of a California driver’s license
  • For active-duty military members or their dependents stationed in California, but with permanent residency in another state, military orders may be used as proof of residency, along with a valid out-of-state driver’s license. 
• Applicant household income eligibility documentation: 
  • Tax return transcript and household summary form
    • Instructions on how to access and download required documents are available here.
      
      OR 
       
    • Proof of participation in an income-qualifying program such as SNAP or Medicaid. A full list of eligible income-qualifying programs can be found here.

You can check the status of your application at any time by logging into your application portal account.

Pre-qualification is good for 90 days or until the program pauses or closes, whichever comes first. Applicants are required to reapply for pre-eligibility if a purchase or lease is not made within 90 days.

Applicants can either: 

• Bring their pre-qualification approval ID number to a participating dealership. The Upfront ZEV Purchase/Lease Incentive will be applied at the point of sale.
  OR 
• Redeem their pre-qualification ID after purchase through the application portal. The applicant’s Upfront ZEV Purchase/Lease Incentive will not be applied at the point of sale, and the applicant will receive the incentive directly after they have purchased or leased an eligible vehicle within 2–8 weeks via ACH payment or check, upon request.

If purchasing your vehicle at point-of-sale with a pre-qualification ID, you can visit a RIDE-enrolled dealership .This step only applies if you’re redeeming at the point of sale. If you’re applying post-purchase, you can buy or lease from any licensed dealership, OEM, or licensed third-party retailer.

These sites can help you find convenient and affordable public charging near you: 

• Alternative Fuels Data Center Station Locator
• Plugshare
• A Better Route Planner
• Presto
• ChargeHub

Tools to help you determine the total cost of ownership for an EV compared to your current car can be found here. You can also look for additional incentives you may be eligible for here.

EV drivers save on fuel and maintenance costs, leaving more money from fares in your pocket. Driving electric also helps reduce carbon emissions for a greener future. For a full breakdown of the benefits, including maintenance, charging, and performance, visit our EV Basics page.

Yes, we have specialists that are available Mon-Fri during regular business hours, except for holidays. You can reach them here:

• (858) 429-5159
• contact@RIDEca.org

Our specialists will respond to your inquiry within 2 business days.

Dealers are encouraged to apply through the RIDE Dealer Hub here. To become a RIDE-enrolled dealer, dealerships are required to provide the following documents: 

• A completed Dealer Enrollment Form, including a designated Primary Contact
• A signed Dealer Participation Agreement and signed Terms & Conditions
• Dealer ACH banking information for reimbursement
• Proof of business license

Dealers are required to go through a formal program onboarding process. To request a dealer training, please email dealerships@rideca.org. RIDE-enrolled dealerships can also visit their dealer portal here for account access. 

Promotional guides, visual displays, and comprehensive guides detailing program benefits, application processes, required documentation, and sales tips to assist dealers can be found here. All resources are translated into Spanish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Farsi, Arabic, Korean.

• Proof of CA temporary or permanent vehicle registration
• Fully executed and signed purchase/lease agreement
• Signed Incentive Transfer Acknowledgement Form

The vehicle must be a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Plug-in hybrid vehicles and hybrid vehicles are not eligible. Read the terms and conditions for full vehicle and applicant eligibility requirements. See a full list eligible vehicles here.

Participating Dealers will have 30 days from the date the Sales Agreement is signed to submit the application with all required documents.

Payments will be issued within thirty (30) days of application approval.

No, dealerships must not accept any form of collateral in place of the incentive. This includes checks for the incentive amount and credit card holds.

The incentive must be added separately from all other down payments. Please add the program name to the payment line.

No, Applicants can purchase or lease an eligible vehicle from any licensed dealership, OEM, or licensed third-party retailer. However, if an Applicant wants your incentive applied at the point of sale (‘cash on the hood’), they willl need to purchase from a RIDE-enrolled dealership.

The RIDE program is partnering with the Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee on Anti-Poverty of San Diego (MAAC) and Charge Across Town in the Los Angeles and Bay Area regions to promote the RIDE program to highly-active income-eligible drivers. Our partner, Catalyst Mobility and our internal marketing efforts at CSE are aimed at engaging drivers across the state