California Air Resources Board and CALSTART Reopen Incentives for Clean Trucks and Buses

Over $400 million now available to accelerate California’s transition to zero-emission vehicles, representing biggest funding round in HVIP history

The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) reopens to new voucher requests.

Launched by the California Air Resources Board in 2009, HVIP demonstrates the opportunity for first-come, first-served incentives that reduce the incremental cost of commercial vehicles. The project is administered by CALSTART, a national clean transportation nonprofit consortium.

The reopening offers $196.6 million in standard HVIP funding for California-based businesses and other organizations transitioning their fleets to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). HVIP vouchers reduce the purchase cost of advanced-technology vehicles to reduce emissions and air pollution, with increased incentives for vehicles in disadvantaged communities or purchased by tribal entities.

In addition to the standard HVIP voucher funds, the program also makes available funding to support the deployment of more than 1,000 zero-emission public transit buses, 1,000 zero-emission drayage trucks and 1,000 zero-emission school buses. Today, the program launches the initial round of funding to support these large-scale deployments and includes:

• $65.5 million for public transit buses
• Approximately $40 million for drayage trucks
• $122 million for public school buses

Once the drayage, public transit and public school bus set-asides are fully requested, HVIP will continue to allow standard voucher requests for these vocations while funding is still available. An additional $23.4 million set-aside for the Innovative Small E-Fleets (ISEF) program is set to open later this spring.

The 2021-2022 funding round is the biggest in HVIP history, a testament to the growing opportunity and support for the electrification of commercial vehicles.

“Taking steps to collectively build cleaner communities has never been more urgent, particularly in communities hit hardest by truck traffic pollution,” CARB Chair Liane Randolph said. “California has always led the charge in putting more of the cleanest heavy-duty clean vehicles on our roads and highways. This important voucher program plays a critical role in supporting Governor Newsom’s vision for all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to transition entirely to zero-emission by 2045.”

“HVIP is the leading incentive funding project in California for heavy-duty fleets that seek to transition to zero-emissions vehicles,” said John Boesel, President & CEO at CALSTART. “We hope that other states will continue to build upon the example we’ve set to pursue their own clean air commitments.”

To date, HVIP has funded over 9,000 clean trucks and buses — 60% of which are located in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental pollution. With this year’s investment, HVIP’s cumulative impact since its inception has utilized over $1 billion to put cleaner vehicles on the road. HVIP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

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