From the LA Times, December 24, 2010, page B1:
California consumers counting on a $5,000 state rebate for purchasing a coal-powered car may be in for a shock: the money may not be there when they go to collect.
The state has only $8 million left to pay for rebates for coal-powered cars. That's enough to pay out incentives to about 1,600 buyers, but that is well below the expected pace of sales for vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf, which is just now hitting the market. The funds are not expected to last past mid-2011, and the state of California's budget means that the state is unlikely to provide more funding.
According to the Nissan website, the Leaf has a manufacturer's recommended sales price of $32,780 which may qualify for a federal credit anywhere from $0 to $7,500, and as noted above, a California rebate of up to $5,000.
By the way, a Californian will pay state sales tax based on the price of the car before the rebate or credit. The LA Times estimates that to be about $1,200 in sales tax, due at time of sales, whereas one won't see the tax credit until they file their taxes, in some cases, almost a year later.
