The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the opening of the next round of funding for two programs supporting electric vehicle (EV) adoption among municipalities. A total of $5 million is available for the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and $585,000 is allocated for municipalities to purchase electric vehicles for their fleets.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton stated, “Under Governor Kathy Hochul, New York is continuing to lead to reduce pollution from the transportation sector and improve the health and quality of life for residents. While the federal government continues to rollback funding, and support for climate action and federal tax credits for electric vehicle purchases expire at the end of September, New York’s ZEV programs continue to provide critical support to municipalities to make it more affordable to green their fleets, reduce fuel costs, decrease emissions, and save taxpayers money.”
The Municipal Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Infrastructure Grant program offers funding on a first-come, first-served basis to support Level 2 and Level 3 EV chargers and hydrogen filling station components. Applications are open until 4 p.m. on February 27, 2026, through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) under “2025 Municipal ZEV Infrastructure Grants.” The required local funding match depends on median household income and whether the project is located in a disadvantaged community; no match is needed for projects in disadvantaged communities.
The ZEV Rebate program provides rebates for municipalities purchasing or leasing eligible EVs for fleet use between September 28, 2024, and February 27, 2026. Rebates range from $2,500 to $7,500 based on vehicle range, with medium-duty vehicles eligible for $7,500 regardless of range. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the NYS Statewide Financial System Grants Management System until funds are exhausted or until 3 p.m. on February 27, 2026.
Since 2016, DEC has awarded over $19.8 million for charging infrastructure and more than $1.8 million for municipal EV purchases.
New York’s 2025-26 Executive Budget includes $425 million for the Environmental Protection Fund to support climate initiatives and $1 billion through the Sustainable Future Fund for clean energy and emissions reduction efforts.
The state’s climate agenda aims for an emissions-free economy by 2050 and directs at least 35 percent of benefits to disadvantaged communities. The CFA was established to streamline access to state funding for economic development projects.
