The US state of California is launching a $20 million incentive scheme to boost the sales of hybrid trucks and buses.

The Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program (HVIP), which has been set up by the California Air Resources Board (ARB), will provide vouchers worth $10,000-45,000 to put towards the purchase of low-emission vehicles.

The vouchers can potentially cut in half the increased cost of buying current model hybrid trucks and buses and is the first such scheme in the US. ARB estimates that the scheme should put around 800 advanced vehicles on the road.

“California is taking an aggressive approach to getting lower-polluting vehicles on the road more quickly,” says ARB chair Mary D. Nichols.

The state has set a target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020. As transportation accounts for 40% of California’s emissions, moving to cleaner alternative fuels is a major part of the plans.

CALSTART, the clean transportation organisation administering the scheme, say vouchers will be issued on a first-come first-served based with a limit of 100 vouchers per purchaser.

Hybrid heavy-duty vehicles can cut emissions and fuel use by 20-50%, as well as reducing smog-causing emissions.

“HVIP will help put advanced, low-carbon and clean hybrid trucks and buses on the roads of California faster, assist state fleets to make an earlier transition to high-efficiency vehicles, and support the growth of the future green technology jobs,” says John Boesel, president and CEO of CALSTART.

For further information:
www.calstart.org
www.arb.ca.gov/

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