MileageSmart Program
Save Money with Every Mile — Up to $5,000 towards the purchase of a used, high-mileage car
Vermont’s transportation sector is the highest emitting sector in the state, accounting for 56% of greenhouse gas emissions, making it the biggest barrier to achieving our state energy and climate goals. Transportation is also one of the biggest barriers to low-income individuals escaping poverty. Better access to reliable and efficient transportation can not only help reduce the State’s energy use and emissions but it can also help low-income Vermonters build a better life.
Capstone Community Action (CCA) has developed a program to subsidize the purchase of used, efficient cars for income-eligible Vermonters. This groundbreaking new program, called MileageSmart, is part of CCA’s climate justice work to support the dual goals of addressing social equity while fighting climate change. The MileageSmart Incentive covers 25% of the vehicle cost, up to $5,000. This program allows income-eligible Vermonters to purchase a used, high-efficiency car by covering a portion of the upfront cost. This is an exciting new program that you or perhaps others you know can take advantage of to begin saving far more money at the pump with a high-efficiency car that gets more miles to the gallon. It’s also a potential funding foundation to explore going electric, considering fully-electric vehicles, while sometimes higher priced upfront, require less maintenance over their lifetime, resulting in even more long-term savings. According to Energy Action Network’s 2019 Annual Report, electric car drivers save nearly $10,000 on operations and maintenance over the course of 150,000 miles when compared to that of gas vehicles. Switching to low and zero-emission vehicles is critical to reducing energy use and emissions and cutting individuals’ long-term transportation costs.
The MileageSmart program can help you or one of your neighbors buy the next car in just three steps!
Click here to find out more, including eligibility information and a link to apply, and remember to spread the word about this exciting program.
Click here to be directed to the MileageSmart website
Watch this video (at 25:35) to hear about MileageSmart from Program Director Samantha Hurt during the 2020 VECAN Conference.