If you drive for a living, Mass. wants you to buy an electric vehicle

The state of Massachusetts is giving people who drive for a living extra incentive to buy or lease electric vehicles.

Uber, Lyft and taxi drivers are now eligible for a $6,500 credit for an EV, on top of other pre-existing benefits. (The state offers $3,500 in rebates through MOR-EV, and there's also a federal tax credit of $7,500 when purchasing a new EV.)

The new program, dubbed Ride Clean Mass, is overseen by the state's economic development agency, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

The state says the program aims to support the purchase or lease of 1,000 to 2,000 electric vehicles by the end of next year.

The state's clean energy center is funded by the Renewable Energy Trust Fund, which was created in 1998 through a restructuring of the electric utility market. According to its website, "The Trust is funded by a systems benefit charge of $0.0005 per kilowatt hour paid by electric ratepayers of investor-owned utilities in Massachusetts, as well as municipal electric departments that have opted to participate in the program."

The website notes that the average Massachusetts household contributes 29 cents each month to the trust.

The program plans to disperse $5.35 million in rebates. Applications stay open until the fund runs dry, which is likely some time in 2025, according to the program's website.

Drivers can check their eligibility and apply here.