California Air Resources Board Launches $20M in Funding Assistance for Heavy-Duty Hybrid Trucks and Buses
04 February 2010
The California Air Resources Board launched a $20 million funding assistance program designed to spur the purchase of hybrid trucks and buses that reduce smog-forming pollution and address climate change.
Funding incentives range from $10,000 to $45,000 and each vehicle purchaser, regardless of the size of their fleet, is limited to a maximum of 100 vouchers. The program, which cuts about half the cost of purchasing road-ready hybrid trucks and buses, is expected to put up to 800 vehicles on the road on a first-come, first-served basis. ARB created the financial incentive program from AB 118 funding to help Californians purchase cleaner, but more costly hybrid vehicles.
Hybrid vehicle technology can reduce truck and bus emissions by 20 to 50 percent, including gases that contribute to global warming. Hybrid vehicles also reduce smog-forming emissions while saving vehicle owners money in reduced fuel costs.
ARB has partnered with CALSTART to administer the program. Eligibility is based on the purchase of selected hybrid vehicles and fleet owners must agree to register and operate the vehicle in California for three years. Dealers, manufactures and fleet owners can learn more about the program at californiahvip.org.
The program will also help achieve the goals of the state’s Climate Change Scoping Plan that requires California to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020 with clean alternative fuels. Transportation accounts for 40% of the total emissions of climate changing gases.
Smog has been known to exacerbate a variety of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions such as heart disease and asthma, and diesel particulate matter was listed as toxic in 1998. Diesel particulate matter contains a variety of harmful gases and over 40 other known cancer-causing substances, linking it to premature death, cancer and other health problems.
Lay off teachers, but the spending of money for CARBon programs must be increased when the government is bankrupt. Pretend that natural gas powered generators do not assist in these smog producing deaths when pretending that nuclear fuel storage might cause some danger in the next million years so that nuclear power plants cannot be built now. CARB must announce how much radon radio-activity is being released into the air right now from natural gas combustion before it worries about the radiation from partially use fission fuel a million years from now. Also tell the people how much radio-active produce is sold from California to other states and in state. All of it is, but why is it not in billion year safe storage instead. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 04 February 2010 at 03:29 AM
Maybe classes that had 25 students will have 30 for a while, but we all breath the air. It is not an either OR but and AND. As soon as people see that it is their part to do their part, we can get a balanced budget and proceed.
Posted by: SJC | 05 February 2010 at 12:46 PM