The California Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) is a unique and streamlined program to help speed the early market introduction of clean, low-carbon hybrid trucks. HVIP accomplishes this by addressing the biggest barrier for fleet purchase of medium- and heavy-duty hybrids: the high incremental cost of these vehicles in the early market years when production volumes are still low. Since its inception in 2010, more than 800 advanced trucks have been ordered using the voucher system. The 2011 funding opened up to electric trucks as well. In fact, in May 2011, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved $4 million to provide additional funding for each HVIP-eligible zero-emission battery-electric commercial vehicle above 10,000 lbs. These incentives will range from $10,000 to $30,000 (on top of existing HVIP voucher amounts) per vehicle, depending on gross vehicle weight. Zero-emission battery-electric vehicles that are manufactured or assembled in California will be eligible for an additional 20 percent bump-up on the CEC incentive. This action signifies the CEC’s intent to provide these funds to the California Air Resources Board (ARB) to be implemented via the HVIP’s existing webpage (www.californiahvip.org).  ARB, the Energy Commission and CALSTART will refine the program details over the next several weeks, with an HVIP Work Group meeting to be held next month (date pending).   For more information on HVIP,  contact Tom Brotherton at tbrotherton@calstart.org or David Kantor at dkantor@calstart.org

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