California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) is offering state and local public agencies serving disadvantaged communities newly increased rebates for purchasing eligible electric vehicles for their fleet operations. The Center for Sustainable Energy, administrators of the statewide project for the California Air Resources Board, announced they are accepting rebate applications funded by $2.8 million available from the state’s Low Carbon Transportation Investments.
The Increased Incentives for Public Fleets in Disadvantaged Communities Pilot Project (Public Fleet Pilot Project) is a new offering administered alongside CVRP. The project benefits citizens of California residing in disadvantaged communities by providing immediate air pollution emissions reductions while stimulating local deployment of the next generation of zero-emission and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Public agencies can benefit from lower acquisition costs for cleaner vehicles that will help in achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals.
The pilot increases the standard CVRP rebates for eligible public entities and offers per vehicle incentives up to $15,000 for fuel-cell electric vehicles, $10,000 for battery-electric vehicles and $5,250 for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Vehicles must be purchased new and based in a designated disadvantaged community. Leased vehicles are not eligible for increased rebates. One feature is that public agencies can apply to reserve rebate funds prior to vehicle delivery, as long as it will be completed within six months of application.
Public agencies can receive up to 30 Public Fleet Pilot Project rebates per year, with vehicles purchased after July 1, 2014, eligible for the current year’s funding. More than 20 light-duty vehicles are presently eligible for the program.
“While electric vehicles may come with a higher up-front cost, they offer significant reductions in emissions as well as lower ownership costs,” said Colin Santulli, senior transportation manager at the Center for Sustainable Energy. “Besides the environmental and public health benefits, many fleet operators have found the financial benefits of lower fuel costs and savings on repairs and maintenance as ample reasons to go electric.”
Additional information about the Public Fleet Pilot Project, including a simple eligibility-screening tool and an online application, is available from the Center for Sustainable Energy at www.energycenter.org/PFP.
