The program keeping Californians cool and the planet cooler

December 2, 2025

A young woman in California spent three years driving around without a working air conditioner. She was disabled, on a limited income and the primary caretaker of her elderly mother with Alzheimer’s.

This was the exact case Nathan Perrine, executive director of the council that manages the Cool Air Rebate program, sought to help. Launching the CAR program led to helping nearly 11,000 Californians in need and funding $4 million in repairs over 16 months.

*Terms and conditions apply. Must be an eligible customer and a participating repair shop. Applies only to qualifying repairs. Repair reimbursement: The Cool Air Rebate Program will pay participating repair shop 90% of the cost of qualifying repairs up to a maximum of $1,500 per vehicle ($1,666.70 repair cost). Program does not pay any portion of repair costs exceeding $1,666.70. If the diagnosis results in qualifying repairs and the consumer accepts the repairs, the program pays participating repair shop 100% of the diagnostic fee. If the diagnosis results in non-qualifying repairs or the consumer declines the repairs, program pays participating repair shop 90% of the diagnostic fee.