South Carolina EV Tax Credits Guide

South Carolina isn’t the least-friendly state toward electric vehicles, but it’s close. Buyers can get a small rebate toward the purchase of a home charging station, and that’s about it. On the bright side, if you want to get solar panels on your house, the Palmetto State has some great incentives for that.

No, buyers of new electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles will not get any tax credits, rebates or other incentives from the state of South Carolina.

No, buyers of used electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles will not get any tax credits, rebates or other incentives from the state of South Carolina.

While the state does not offer incentives to subsidize the purchase or installation of home electric car charging stations, they are available from Santee Cooper, which is a local utility company.

Santee Cooper offers residential customers a rebate of up to $250 for the purchase of a qualified Level 2 EV charging station.

South Carolina affords some of the most generous incentives in the U.S. for the purchase and installation of solar panels to generate electric power. Residents can claim a state tax credit of 25% of the total system cost, up to $35,000. Those who cannot claim the entire credit in a single year can carry over the balance for up to 10 years subsequent to the installation. In addition to solar panels, the tax credit applies to solar water heaters, solar space heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and small hydroelectric systems.

This is on top of a federal tax credit of 30 percent to have solar panels installed, which includes the cost of materials, labor, and related fees, including necessary permits.

What’s more, South Carolina energy companies with over 100,000 customers must offer net metering programs that allow solar-generating homeowners to earn credits for the excess power their systems produce.

Yes, South Carolina charges electric car owners a biennial supplemental license fee of $120 as a road use fee, while owners of gas/electric hybrid-powered models pay $60. Both are on top of the usual annual registration fee.

Those purchasing or leasing an EV in South Carolina may qualify for the Federal Electric Car Tax Credit of up to $7,500, though it’s limited to models assembled in North America, and is subject to limitations regarding vehicle type, price, and family income thresholds, which may yet change.