The California Air Resources Board, elected officials and industry have celebrated the 2,000th Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher, awarded to Redwood Products of Chino, a small business that invested in a clean, low-carbon hybrid delivery truck. Cleaner trucks mean fewer unhealthy diesel emissions.
The incentive program has contributed to air pollution reductions in neighborhoods throughout California. Since its launch in 2010, the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) has provided more than $63 million to help California fleets statewide purchase more than 430 zero-emission trucks and buses and 1,800 hybrid trucks and buses – and additional funding is on the way. Funding for this program is primarily supported through California Climate Investments, programs funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund using proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions.
“Thanks to California Climate Investments, which support clean transportation programs like HVIP, our communities are getting an infusion of resources that help businesses buy low-carbon vehicles, support economic growth and help clean the air – all which will pay dividends for generations to come,” Air Resources Board Executive Officer Richard Corey says.
Redwood Products is the recipient of a $23,000 voucher, which covered close to one-third of the price of a low-carbon Hino hybrid truck. Based in Chino, Redwood Products provides mulch, wood chips and other products to nurseries and the landscape industry in five western states.
Those who gathered to mark the occasion included Senator Connie M. Leyva; Mr. Christopher Craig, a representative for Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez; California Air Resources Board Member Barbara Riordan; and representatives from Redwood Products, Hino Trucks, CALSTART, Rush Truck Center and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
HVIP is the nation’s first program to directly reduce the up-front cost of hybrid or zero-emission trucks and buses. HVIP incentives drive manufacturing production and fleet acceptance of the advanced heavy-duty vehicle technologies California must deploy to meet its long-term air quality and climate goals. Consumer incentives are needed because these products generally cost more than their conventional counterparts, which can be a significant deterrent to their purchase. This streamlined approach – with eligible vehicles and preset voucher amounts available on a first-come, first-served basis – has proven popular with vehicle dealers, manufacturers, and California fleets.
The program provides vouchers of up to $95,000 for California purchasers and lessees of zero-emission trucks and buses, and up to $30,000 for eligible hybrid trucks and buses on a first-come, first-served basis. HVIP also provides incentives of up to $110,000 for zero-emission trucks that provide benefits to disadvantaged communities.
The ARB in June approved a $373 million funding plan that covers all investments in advanced technologies for fiscal year 2015-16, from zero-emission heavy-duty trucks to rebates for low- and zero-emission passenger vehicles. The bulk of the $373 million -- $350 million -- comes through California Climate Investments. These low-carbon transportation investments include $200 million for light-duty vehicles and $167.5 million for heavy-duty vehicle and freight-equipment projects, including vouchers to help support the purchase of hybrid and zero-emission trucks and buses.
