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Please consider the following news release from the California
Air Resources Board:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/newsrelease.php?id=505

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Release 13-59

September 26, 2013
  
CONTACT:

Melanie Turner
(916) 322-2990
melanie.turner@arb.ca.gov


California adds $72.5 million to accelerate its vehicle fleet
towards a zero-emission future

Truckers to get increased access to loans for cleaner diesel
trucks. Additional funding for deployment of cleanest vehicle
technologies.


Sacramento – The California Air Resources Board announced today
an additional $72.5 million in funding for state programs that
will improve public health by helping to clean up California’s
fleet of cars, trucks and buses. Heavy duty vehicles such as
trucks and buses are a major source of highly toxic pollutants as
well as emissions that cause global warming.

“The incentive programs provide critical early investments needed
to accelerate the transformation of California’s car, truck and
bus fleets to the cleanest advanced technologies,” Air Resources
Board Executive Officer Richard Corey said. “The Truck Loan
Assistance Program complements these long-term investments by
providing truckers additional access to loans, helping clean up
the legacy fleet of older, higher-polluting diesel trucks.”

The Air Resources Board today voted to move $8 million from other
clean vehicle projects into ARB’s Truck Loan Assistance Program.
Additionally, the board was briefed on additional funding the
Legislature recently made available for clean car, truck and bus
programs. Funding was approved for three specific programs.

•	The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project received an influx of $44.5
million to help California consumers purchase plug-in hybrid and
zero-emission cars and light trucks. The Clean Vehicle Rebate
Project provides individuals, nonprofits, government entities and
businesses a rebate of up to $2,500 on a first-come, first-served
basis. This can be combined with an up to $7,500 clean vehicle
federal tax credit and various other regional incentives. More
than 33,000 rebates have been issued since the program launched
in 2010, and consumer demand has surged to about 2,500 rebates
per month. 

•	Funding for this year’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus
Voucher Incentive Project was increased by $10 million to $15
million. This program provides vouchers of up to $55,000 to help
California fleets purchase cleaner, advanced technology trucks
and buses. Since its inception in 2010, the program has helped
deploy more than 1,600 hybrid and electric trucks and buses in
California. ARB expects vouchers to become available at
participating dealerships beginning this December. 

•	ARB’s Truck Loan Assistance Program received an additional $18
million to help small business fleet owners finance truck
upgrades required under the ARB’s In-Use Truck and Bus
Regulation. The program has leveraged state funds to provide
about $210 million in private financing since 2009 to help truck
owners purchase cleaner trucks, exhaust retrofits and truck
efficiency upgrades. With this additional funding, the program
will continue to support small business truck owners to gain
access to cleaner trucks. The Truck Loan Assistance Program is
implemented in partnership with the California Pollution Control
Financing Authority.

The rebate and voucher incentive programs are designed to
accelerate the number of advanced-technology vehicles purchased.
This, in turn, increases production volumes and brings down the
cost of these vehicles, making them more affordable for all
consumers. They work together with the increased access to loans
for trucks to deliver the broadest range of clean transportation
and freight technologies California needs to meet federal air
quality standards and state climate change goals.