Ford and GM Aim to Keep $7,500 EV Lease Savings Alive After Credit Ends

The federal clean vehicle tax credit expired yesterday, September 30, but Ford and General Motors are trying to keep the $7,500 relief flowing for lessees a little longer. As first reported by Reuters, both automakers are working with dealers on short term programs that capture the now ended federal incentive at the finance arm level, then pass the savings through in the lease rate. The basic idea is simple. Ford Credit and GM Financial purchase eligible EVs out of dealer inventory with a down payment so the transaction qualifies for the credit, then the stores lease those vehicles to customers with the $7,500 baked into the payment.

This approach could help soften the blow from the sunset of multiple incentives. Along with the $7,500 credit for new battery electric vehicles, the $3,750 credit for plug in hybrids and the $4,000 used EV credit are gone under The One Big Beautiful Bill. Lease pass throughs were historically a popular path because they avoided some of the sourcing and assembly restrictions that limited purchase eligibility, and because the discount showed up instantly in the deal instead of at tax time.

Model coverage will still matter. Ford’s recent roster of qualifying vehicles centered on the F 150 Lightning. GM’s bench has been deeper, including Cadillac Lyriq, Optiq, and Vistiq, along with electric versions of the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Blazer, Equinox, and Silverado. Dealers tell us the new lease programs are designed to run for at least the next few months, giving shoppers time to lock in payments that feel familiar to what they saw before the deadline.

If you are considering an EV, ask the store to spell out how the $7,500 is being applied in the money factor or capitalized cost reduction, and request a lease worksheet to verify. The credit itself ended yesterday, but for now Ford and GM appear determined to keep the savings visible on the showroom floor through creative financing.