Uber and Lyft drivers can now apply for up to $20,300 toward an electric car under a new state program
RIDE also pays $1,170 a year toward public charging for up to four years. Drivers need 4,500 trips in the past year and must meet an income limit.
California rideshare drivers can now apply for up to $20,300 toward a new electric car under a statewide program that opened Nov. 2, according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the state agency that oversees ride-hailing companies and utilities. The program, Rideshare Incentives for Driving Electric (RIDE), is for lower- and middle-income drivers who drive a lot.
What drivers can get
- Up to $20,300 to buy or lease a new zero-emission vehicle.
- Up to $14,200 for a used one.
- $1,170 a year toward public charging for up to four years, or $4,680 in all, for drivers who get a vehicle incentive and stay eligible.
Who qualifies
Drivers must have completed at least 4,500 passenger trips on Uber, Lyft or HopSkipDrive in the past 12 months; delivery trips don’t count. Household income must be at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, about $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four under 2026 federal guidelines, or the driver must be in an eligible income program. Applicants must be California residents with a California driver’s license.
The car must be fully battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell; plug-in and regular hybrids don’t qualify. Drivers must keep it at least 36 months and use it for rideshare in California.
What to know
Drivers who qualify first can have the money taken off the price at a participating dealership. Those who buy first and apply later risk being found ineligible, the CPUC warns. Drivers may also qualify for local and utility EV incentives.
The money comes from a per-trip fee paid by rideshare customers under California’s Clean Miles Standard, which requires ride-hailing companies to raise the share of miles driven in zero-emission vehicles. “Rideshare drivers depend on their vehicles to earn a living, and the cost of going electric can be a major hurdle,” CPUC Commissioner Christine Harada said.
Check eligibility and apply: RIDE program site, run for the CPUC by the nonprofit Center for Sustainable Energy.
Source: CPUC news release, Oct. 19, 2026 (PDF); RIDE: Eligibility; HHS 2026 poverty guidelines, checked Nov. 10, 2026.