The city’s plan to spend $500,000 to give qualified residents about $4,000 to $7,500 to buy a new or used EV shows poor judgement at the very least.

The plan will mostly benefit those who can already afford an EV. $500,000 is only enough to pay for rebates on about 100 or fewer EVs, hardly a number that will make a meaningful dent in emissions reduction.

This money would have been better spent to help fund the city’s continued investment in zero emission buses and municipal vehicles. The reduction in emissions by utilizing fully electrified work and public transit vehicles would be more significant than with private EVs, which sit parked most of the time. The optics would be better too: It would be nice to see “Ann Arbor emissions-free vehicle” painted in big, bright letters on their sides. It would send a consistent message.

Or alternatively, the city could hand out rebates to purchase bicycles (not the electric bikes which have generated issues). The $500,000 allotted for EV rebates could buy more than 700 quality bicycles. Making bikes more affordable to more people would encourage more use of the near empty bike lanes and paths I see in the city. I also don’t see many bike racks either. What a contrast compared to European cities large and small with many bikes that are a significant component of their commuting landscape.

Lastly, when I read the June issue with the article “Who’s in the Running to Run Ann Arbor?,” not one candidate said “We need a rebate on EVs.”

Stan Serpento

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Dear Stan,

Ann Arbor’s EV rebate program is a targeted addition to the city’s A2Zero climate strategy. No single rebate will solve the climate crisis, and this program is not intended to replace investments in mass transit, biking, walking, or building electrification.

Since Ann Arbor voters approved the Community Climate Action Millage in 2022, the city has launched rebates for heat pumps, insulation, induction cooking, electric yard equipment, bicycles, electric panel upgrades, energy storage systems, and more. Over 1,200 of these rebates have already been claimed and hundreds more are reserved. The city also continues to make investments in infrastructure that make it safer and easier for residents to walk, bike, scoot, roll, take transit, or move safely by other means throughout our community.

Yet some Ann Arbor residents will continue to need a car because of mobility concerns, work locations, or other needs. Helping replace fossil fuel–burning vehicles with all-electric vehicles can reduce pollution and household fuel costs while advancing our climate goals. 

The new EV rebate program is intentionally limited. It uses $500,000 in remaining FY2026 rebate funds. Rebates are available only through September 2026 or until funds run out, are limited to one per household or business, and apply only to all-electric vehicles. And while funding is available for anyone going electric, more funds are available to income-qualified households.

We should, and are, continuing work to expand mass transit, biking and walking infrastructure, and improve land use planning in our community. We should also decarbonize the vehicles that remain on the road. Climate action requires an all-of-the-above approach.

Missy Stults
Director, City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations