Extending zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) access to all and especially to low-middle income (LMI) and disadvantaged communities (DAC), is one of the core agenda of California’s Advanced Clean Car II (ACC II). ZEV incentives and rebate programs like Clean Cars for All (CC4A), is facilitated through participating dealerships and are eligible to receive customer’s ZEV incentive as down-payment. Literature reports that dealership’s attitude towards and knowledge of ZEVs have been found to affect the purchase intentions. Dealers are sometimes dismissive of electric vehicles (EVs), misinform shoppers on vehicle specifications, omit EVs from the sales conversation and strongly orient customers towards petrol/diesel vehicle options. Further, the used ZEV market holds immense promise for promoting equitable access to clean transportation. Research has shown that buyers from DAC, low-income and minority are more likely to buy their ZEVs used, and used plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) make up a higher share of all PEVs in DACs. The inventory of used ZEVs, their source of procurement and the equitable treatment of LMI and DAC consumers during purchase process at these dealerships are critical factors that remain highly understudied. This study aims to identify the existing bias, barriers, gaps, in ZEV sales process as well as the inventory and source of used ZEVs at the participating dealerships that hinder larger adoption of ZEVs, specifically in the LMI and DAC households in California. The findings of this research will contribute to developing “retail friendly” strategies at dealerships, addressing equity concerns, and identifying areas for enhancement.
