City Manager’s Office
DATE: December 1, 2025
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Remy Rinn, Climate Fellow
Denise Lin, Sustainability Analyst II
VIA: Danielle Lee, Chief Sustainability and Resiliency Officer SUBJECT: Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program for Existing Multifamily Properties
RECOMMENDATION
Review the proposed Mountain View Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Rebate Program for existing multifamily properties.
BACKGROUND
The Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Noncompetitive Member Agency Grant program provides funding for SVCE’s thirteen member agencies, including the City of Mountain View. The grant offers each member agency a pre-determined amount to invest in a project supporting building or transportation electrification, energy resilience, or community engagement on these topics.
The City of Mountain View’s formula grant amount is $379,921.
On November 18, the City Council approved staff to apply for and accept the SVCE grant for an Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program for existing multifamily properties. The purpose of this report is to share details on the planned rebate program’s design and implementation.
ANALYSIS
Transportation accounts for 58 percent of Mountain View’s greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from gasoline-powered passenger vehicles. 1 To reduce these emissions, the City is prioritizing vehicle electrification, which requires expanding accessible and affordable EV charging for all residents. However, multifamily residents, who represent well over half of all housing units within the city, have a significantly lower rate of EV adoption compared to single -family residents.2
1 City of Mountain View 2023 Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. 2 Silicon Valley Clean Energy EV and EVI Baseline Study Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program
December 1, 2025
As of November 2025, an estimated thirteen percent of multifamily housing units in Mountain View had access to on-site EV charging. However, at multifamily properties with EV charging, tenants often have to share a limited number of chargers. In contrast, single-family homes are far more likely to have dedicated garages, which are required to have at least one standard 120-volt outlet and a
20-amp circuit per the National Electrical Code. This means that each single-family unit likely has the option to use a Level 1 EV charging outlet; homeowners may also opt to install a Level 2 charging port, if their home has adequate electrical capacity. This reality presents a significant gap in access to EV charging between multifamily and single-family homes. Ideally, every housing unit in Mountain View would have access to some level of EV charging at home if the goal is to transition to full vehicle electrification.
Current EV Charging Incentives for Multifamily Properties Incentives are available for multifamily properties interested in installing EV charging, the most prominent being SVCE’s rebate program. As of October 2025, ten multifamily sites in Mountain View have installed a total of 159 charging ports utilizing these incentives. An additional twelve sites have reserved funding, with 114 ports in progress. On average, these rebates have covered 66 percent of total project costs. However, project costs remain too high for many multifamily properties to participate. At a BayREN Property Manager’s Forum in May 2025, property managers identified high installation costs, especially amid competing maintenance and upgrade needs, as the primary barrier to participating in rebate programs.
Proposed Mountain View EV Charging Rebate for Multifamily Properties The proposed Mountain View Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program will be stacked on top of SVCE’s existing rebate program and will cover up to 100 percent of project costs, with no additional paperwork required for applicants. This model offers advantages such as low administrative fees, cross-organizational partnership, and increased outreach capacity. The program aims to encourage owners and managers of existing multifamily properties to become early adopters of EV charging stations. As these properties attract tenants and homeowners, their actions could inspire other multifamily properties to follow suit and install EV chargers on their own, accelerating installations while reducing the need for ongoing, substantial incentives.
The program aims to expand EV charging for all types of existing multifamily properties, allowing the City to learn from a diverse set of project types and property contexts. Rebate adder funds will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Sites with high resident interest, available parking, and strong resident-management engagement are likely to participate. Staff estimates that the SVCE grant will enable the installation of up to 180 electric vehicle charging outlets or ports.
Proposed Program Design
To reserve the rebate, applicants will submit a form through SVCE’s website, where SVCE will Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program
December 1, 2025
concurrently approve both the Mountain View and SVCE rebates. The proposed Mountain View rebate is shown in the table below alongside SVCE’s base rebates. The Mountain View rebate will cover charging equipment and other common project costs, such as panel upgrades, wiring, and trenching. Ports represent full charging systems while outlets represent lower-cost charging receptacles.
Table 1: Proposed Mountain View Incentives and Base SVCE Incentives Equipment
Covered
Mountain View
Incentive
Base SVCE Incentive Total Incentive*
Level 1 or Level 2
Outlet
$2,000 per outlet $2,500 per outlet $4,500 per outlet
Level 2 EV Charger
Port
$3,000 per port $5,500 per port $8,500 per port
Panel upgrades
and trenching
The Mountain View
incentives will cover
panel upgrades and
trenching.
SVCE provides an
additional $5,000
panel upgrade
incentive per project.
Mountain View
incentives, plus SVCE
$5000 panel upgrade
incentive per project.
*The incentive may cover up to, but not more than, the total project cost.
Property Owner Engagement
Staff plan to contract with a trusted community member, a "Property Owner Ambassador", who will provide guidance and support to existing multifamily property owners . They will possess strong technical skills, project management experience, and/or familiarity with property and multifamily management. The ambassador will assist property owners by answering qu estions and offering support throughout the entire process, from obtaining rebates to installing chargers.
The ambassador can also deliver education on EV charging benefits and best practices. Staff will also promote the rebate program through City events and communications.
Program Budget
The tentative budget for this program is as follows and is fully funded by the SVCE grant:
Table 2: Proposed Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program Budget Rebate Funds $354,921
Property Manager Liaison/Outreach $25,000
SVCE Administrative Fee* 0-4 percent of rebate funds distributed Total Budget $379,921
*An administrative fee may not be necessary. However, up to 4 percent of rebate funds may be charged as an administrative fee to implement the rebate program.
Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate Program
December 1, 2025
Program Timeline and Evaluation
Staff anticipates entering into the grant agreement with SVCE in early 2026 , and the rebate program is expected to launch later that spring. SVCE will share regular reports so the City can track rebate reservations and additional project metrics. To track and assess success metrics following program completion, the City may consider using a third-party Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification process that would conduct property manager , contractor, and/or tenant surveys.