Vehicle Exchange Colorado: $6,000 off a used EV when you recycle your old gas car

Colorado runs a program that pays you to retire an old gas or diesel car and replace it with an electric one. It is called Vehicle Exchange Colorado (VXC), it is run by the Colorado Energy Office, and the money comes off the price at the dealership on the day you buy. Signature Auto Imports is a participating dealer. Here is how it works as of October 2026.

The amount

• $6,000 toward a used electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid.
• $9,000 toward a new one.

These amounts have applied since November 3, 2025. For a used EV the negotiated price has to be $50,000 or less, not counting taxes and fees. For a new one the MSRP has to be $80,000 or less. There is no model-year or mileage limit on the EV you buy, so a used Tesla, Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Ioniq on our lot can qualify as long as it is priced at or under $50,000.

Who qualifies

You have to be a Colorado resident, 18 or older, with a Colorado driver’s license, and you have to meet one of these:

• Your household income is below 80% of the area median income for your county. For the Denver metro that is roughly $80,000 for one person and $115,000 for a family of four at the time of writing; the exact chart is on the program site.
• Someone in your household is enrolled in SNAP, Medicaid, LEAP, WIC, SSI, SSDI, CARE, WAP, Section 8 or RTD LiVE.

One rebate is allowed per tax household.

What the old car has to be

This is where most people have questions. The car you give up must:

• Run and drive. It is inspected at the dealership.
• Be a gas or diesel car that is model year 2014 or older (for applications made in 2026), or one that has failed a Colorado emissions test.
• Be titled and registered in Colorado in your name, with no loan on it, and not a salvage or junk title.

The old car is recycled, not resold. You do not get a separate trade-in value for it. The $6,000 rebate is the value.

The order of events

1. Apply first, before you buy. The application is online at the Colorado Energy Office’s VXC page. Approval usually takes up to ten business days.
2. You get an approval that is good for 90 days. Use it at any participating dealer in that window.
3. Pick the car. Text us the stock number; we confirm the car is under the price cap and set an appointment.
4. Bring the old car, its title and your approval. We inspect the old car, apply the rebate to the price, and send the old car to be recycled.
5. Pay the rest. Colorado sales tax is charged on the full price before the rebate, which is a program rule, not ours.

What is not available anymore

People still ask about these, so to be clear:

• The federal tax credits for new and used EVs ended for vehicles bought after September 30, 2025.
• Colorado’s state EV tax credit applies to new vehicles only. There is nothing from it on a used car.
• Xcel Energy’s income-qualified EV rebate closed in November 2024 when its fund ran out.

For a used EV in 2026, VXC is the main money on the table.

The fine print that matters

The rebate depends on program funding, so terms can change, and approval is never guaranteed until the Energy Office issues it. The official eligibility rules, the income chart and the application are at energyoffice.colorado.gov/vehicle-exchange-colorado. If you are not sure whether you or your old car qualify, text us a photo of the registration and we will tell you what we see before you apply.