State funding agencies allocate $59.55 million in incentives for 2013-14
The California Air Resources Board has selected CCSE to continue for a fourth year as administrators of the statewide Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP) that promotes the purchase or lease of new plug-in hybrid and zero-emission vehicles.
For the current fiscal year, the ARB and the California Energy Commission allocated an additional $59.55 million to CVRP, which will fund some 29,000 rebates, depending on the mix of vehicles, through mid-2014. Future funding is expected thanks to the recently authorized AB 8 (Perea and Skinner, 2013) that guarantees the state’s current clean vehicle and alternative fuel incentive initiatives continue through 2023 with a budget in excess of $2 billion.
Since the CVRP launched in 2010, it has awarded more than $60 million for 33,000 vehicle rebates. The program incentives are available for electric, plug-in hybrid electric, fuel cell vehicles and electric motorcycles, ranging from $900 to $2,500. CCSE processes about 2,500 rebates per month resulting from a surge in consumer demand for cleaner vehicles from individuals, nonprofit organizations, government entities and businesses.
State committment
The CVRP is part of ARB’s statewide efforts to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the use of cleaner transportation that also include incentives and loan assistance programs for hybrid and zero-emission trucks and buses. Funding for these programs is generated by revenues from smog abatement fees and vehicle and vessel registration.
“The CVRP is one of the state’s critical early investments in making the transformation to greener, advanced vehicle technologies that reduce dependence on petroleum,” said Colin Santulli, CCSE’s CVRP program manager. “The state’s support of zero-emission and plug-in hybrid technologies is priming the market for a larger number of these vehicles over the next few years and beyond.”
For information about CVRP rebates, visit the CCSE website at www.energycenter.org/cvrp. CCSE also provides free public workshops about clean vehicle options and electric vehicle charging for homeowners, fleet managers, city planners and transportation providers.
