ARB Approves New State Funding For Cleaner Cars, Trucks, And Buses

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced in late-September that it has approved an additional $72.5 million to help fund clean vehicle programs in the state. The goal is to reduce emissions of toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases from cars, trucks, and buses.

"The incentive programs provide critical early investments needed to accelerate the transformation of California’s car, truck, and bus fleets to the cleanest advanced technologies," ARB Executive Officer Richard Corey said. "The Truck Loan Assistance Program complements these long-term investments by providing truckers additional access to loans, helping clean up the legacy fleet of older, higher-polluting diesel trucks."

The new funding was broken down as follows:

$44.5 million to help consumers buy plug-in hybrid and zero-emission cars & light trucks. The money will be distributed via the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project which provides successful applicants with rebates of up to $2,500. These can be combined with up to $7,500 in federal tax credits and other regional incentives. Since 2010, more than 33,000 rebates have been issued and current demand is about 2,500 per month.
$10 million was added to the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project, bringing its total funding to $15 million. This program provides vouchers of up to $55,000 to assist in the purchase of cleaner, advanced technology trucks and buses for fleets. Since 2010, more than 1,600 hybrid and electric trucks and buses have been purchased as a result of the project.
$18 million was added to the Truck Loan Assistance Program to help small businesses finance upgrades for their fleets required under ARB's In-Use Truck and Bus Regulation. In addition, ARB voted to move $8 million from other clean vehicle programs into this program.