California is eliminating its popular electric car rebate program — which often runs out of money and has long waiting lists — to focus on providing subsidies only to lower-income car buyers.

The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, in existence since 2010, will end when it runs out of money this year. In its place, the state will expand a program next year that provides subsidies only to low-to-middle-income residents — those who have more trouble affording electric cars.

The income limits will be much more restrictive.

Californians who earn more than 300% of the federal poverty level will no longer qualify for a state subsidy when they buy an electric car, according to the California Air Resources Board. Currently, that level is $43,740 for an individual and $90,000 for a family of four, with sliding scales for household size.

In comparison, under the existing program that is being eliminated, individuals earning up to $135,000 and joint filers earning up to $200,000 qualified. The rebates for battery-powered cars varied from $7,500 for lower-income households to $2,000 for higher incomes.

Experts say the old program has been a key driver in helping Californians transition to electric cars. But now that the vehicles have become mainstream, the state will shift the emphasis to helping people who can’t afford their high price tags.

“The goal here is not to eliminate options for one group of motorists at the expense of another but to assist those who’ve been unable to purchase a cleaner vehicle and to broaden and deepen the state’s ZEV (zero-emission vehicle) fleet. We need everyone possible to afford a ZEV, and this has been part of the plan to do that for a number of years,” said David Clegern, spokesman with the air resources board.

The program called Clean Cars 4 All will be expanded statewide next year; it currently is available only in the five largest air districts. The revamped program will give people statewide who meet the income requirements up to $12,000 to scrap and replace their older gas-powered cars with cleaner alternatives. Those not getting rid of an older car can qualify for up to $7,500 in purchase grants.

Car buyers also may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for some vehicles, with income restrictions of $150,000 for individuals and $300,000 for married couples filing jointly.

Bill Magavern, policy director of the Coalition for Clean Air, a Los Angeles-based advocacy group, said the state will “democratize clean transportation” with its more targeted subsidies.

“It is time for (the state rebate) to go away,” Magavern said. “When EVs were considered to be exotic and strange and out of reach for most people, it was important to have this broad-based rebate. But now EVs have gone mainstream.”

However, some car dealers worry that ending the rebate for middle-to-higher-income Californians might discourage people from buying the cars.

A CalMatters’ statewide analysis of ZIP codes earlier this year showed extreme disparities in electric car ownership. Communities with mostly White and Asian high-income residents have the state’s highest concentrations of zero-emission cars. In stark contrast, California ZIP codes with the largest percentages of Latino and Black residents have extremely low proportions of electric cars — many with no electric cars at all.

Income seems to be the main driver of the disparities, according to CalMatters’ analysis. Most median household incomes in the top 10 ZIP codes for electric cars exceeded $200,000, much higher than the statewide $84,097.

More than 1.6 million zero-emission vehicles have been sold in California; one out of four cars sold during the second quarter of this year were zero emissions.