Program for electric vehicles launched
California takes another step toward a future of clean transportation this month with the initiation of the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, according to Mike Ferry, administrator for the project and head of CCSE’s transportation programs.
CCSE was chosen by the California Air Resources Board ( ARB) to administer the project, which is expected to dispense approximately $3.7 million over the next year to businesses and individuals who purchase or lease qualifying vehicles. Passenger vehicles can receive rebates up to $5,000 and commercial vehicles up to $20,000. The ARB has already committed to additional funding to continue the program through 2015.
Ferry said the program is starting with a short list of eligible zero-emission and plug-in electric vehicles, including certain neighborhood electric vehicles, specific commercial vehicles and the Tesla Roadster. That list will grow as automobile manufacturers such as Nissan, as well as potential newcomers such as Coda and BYD, begin sales of qualifying vehicles later this year and in 2011.
A critical element in the success of electric vehicle deployment is building an infrastructure of charging stations, Ferry said. He is a member of a regional advisory committee that is working with eTec (Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation), a Scottsdale, Az., company, to install some 1,500 public access charging stations and more than 2,000 residential chargers in San Diego by mid 2011. This is being done to support the more than 2,000 Nissan Leaf passenger cars that will be available in the region later this year.
“Someday soon, Californians will have the choice to drive past the gas pump and high gas prices to choose something better,” Ferry said. “The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project is a major step in getting us there.”
As the rebate program develops over the next few weeks, the list of eligible vehicles and further details will be available on the CCSE website.
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