An Act to Include Qualified Out-of-state Electric Vehicle Providers
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1258
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: WARREN
Amends: 35-A MRSA §10126

Legislative Document
No. 1258
H.P. 833
House of Representatives, March 25, 2025
An Act to Include Qualified Out-of-state Electric Vehicle Providers 
and Clarify Provisions Regarding Electric Bicycles Under the 
Electric Vehicle Fund
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WARREN of Scarborough.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §10126, sub-§1, ¶A-2 is enacted to read:
A-2.  "Eligible electric vehicle provider" means:
(1)  An authorized licensee of the original equipment manufacturer in the State or 
an authorized licensee of the original equipment manufacturer located outside of 
the State that meets all of the requirements applicable to in-state authorized 
licensees of the original equipment manufacturer as determined by the trust;
(2)  A licensed automobile dealer in the State or a licensed automobile dealer 
located outside of the State that meets all of the requirements applicable to in-state 
licensed automobile dealerships as determined by the trust; and
(3)  The original equipment manufacturer, wherever located.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §10126, sub-§3, as corrected by RR 2023, c. 2, Pt. A, §56, is 
amended to read:
3.  Incentive Electric vehicle incentive program established; eligibility.  In 
accordance with the provisions of this section, the trust shall establish and administer a 
program that provides incentives for the purchase or lease of electric vehicles.  A person 
may apply for and, as resources within the fund allow, receive an incentive for an electric 
vehicle, subject to eligibility requirements established by the trust.  Eligibility criteria for 
the vehicle must include that the vehicle is a battery electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid 
electric vehicle; the vehicle is purchased, or leased for a term of 36 months or more, from 
an authorized licensee of the original equipment manufacturer or a licensed automobile 
dealer in the State or from its original equipment manufacturer, wherever located eligible 
electric vehicle provider; and, to the extent required by Title 29‑A, chapter 5, the vehicle is 
registered in the State. An automobile, as defined in Title 29‑A, section 101, subsection 7, 
with a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or less is not eligible for the program if 
it has a manufacturer's suggested retail price greater than $55,000.  To the extent funds are 
available, the trust may extend program eligibility to medium duty vehicles and heavy duty 
vehicles that are battery electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and to electric 
bicycles in accordance with subsection 3-A.  Eligibility requirements for the recipient of 
the incentive must include that the recipient attests to a commitment to maintain a 
registration in this State to the extent required by Title 29‑A, chapter 5, whether through 
purchase or lease, of the eligible electric vehicle for at least 36 months from the date of 
purchase or lease.  The trust may require a recipient of an incentive under this section who 
does not maintain a registration in this State of the eligible electric vehicle for at least 36 
months to repay the trust up to the full amount of the incentive. If the trust extends program 
eligibility to electric bicycles, the trust shall limit the electric bicycle incentives to 
recipients who are low-income and moderate-income individuals and to entities that serve 
those individuals, as determined by the trust. For a recipient to receive an incentive for the 
purchase of an electric bicycle under the program, the electric bicycle must serve as the 
recipient's principal means of commuting, as determined by the trust.
The trust shall establish the incentive amount for each eligible electric vehicle. The trust 
shall establish incentive amounts that it determines most effectively increase the use of 
eligible electric vehicles in the State to advance the State's carbon reduction targets and 
reduce transportation-related energy costs.  For each model of an eligible electric vehicle, 
the trust may establish different incentive amounts based on the size of the vehicle battery.  
The trust may establish different incentive amounts for the purpose of providing reasonable 
opportunity for participation in the program across different customer groups and 
geographic areas.  The trust may establish reasonable limits on the number of incentives 
per vehicle or per person.
Sec. 3.  35-A MRSA §10126, sub-§3-A is enacted to read:
3-A.  Electric bicycle incentive; eligibility.  If the trust extends the electric vehicle 
incentive program eligibility under subsection 3 to electric bicycles, the trust shall establish 
eligibility criteria that include the following.
A.  An electric bicycle incentive recipient must be a low-income or moderate-income 
individual or an entity that serves low-income or moderate-income individuals, as 
determined by the trust.
B.  The electric bicycle for which the recipient is receiving the incentive must serve as 
the recipient's principal means of commuting, as determined by the trust.
C.  The electric bicycle must be purchased, or leased for a term of 36 months or more, 
from:
(1)  An authorized licensee of the original equipment manufacturer in the State;
(2)  An authorized licensee of the original equipment manufacturer located outside 
of the State that meets all the requirements applicable to in-state authorized 
licensees of the original equipment manufacturer, as determined by the the trust; 
or
(3)  The original equipment manufacturer, wherever located.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the law establishing the Electric Vehicle Fund incentive program to 
include that an electric vehicle may also be purchased or leased from an out-of-state 
authorized licensee of the original equipment manufacturer or an out-of-state licensed 
automobile dealer if the seller or lessor meets all requirements applicable to in-state sellers 
or lessors as determined by the trust. For a vehicle to be eligible for the incentive program 
under current law, a purchase or lease from an authorized licensee of the original equipment 
manufacturer or a licensed automobile dealer must be from licensees or dealers located in 
the State.  The bill also clarifies the eligibility requirements applicable to incentives for 
electric bicycles under the incentive program.