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newsrel -- California Truckin' News: ARB celebrates a successful start of air quality improvement projects
Posted: 29 Sep 2010 13:16:15
Consumers take advantage of incentives, gear up for cleaner cars and other equipment . California Truckin’ News ARB celebrates a successful start of air quality improvement projects Dated: Sept. 29, 2010 Contacts: Mary Fricke (916)322-2990 Karen Caesar (626)575-6728 www.arb.ca.gov ARB celebrates a successful start of air quality improvement projects Consumers take advantage of incentives, gear up for cleaner cars and other equipment This year California consumers have taken advantage of state incentives that put clean vehicles on the road and save them money on fuel. New incentive programs totaling $40 million are cutting smog and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by funding advanced vehicle and equipment technologies. Under Assembly Bill 118 (2007), ARB is authorized to design new programs that fund the purchase of new vehicles like the Nissan LEAF and hybrid trucks and get them on the road more quickly. These monies accelerate California’s clean air efforts and protect public health. One of the incentive programs was so popular, it quickly used up all $19 million within the first six months and, it received national recognition by the American Council for Energy Efficient Economy as having one of the best programs for energy-efficiency. These programs have the potential of producing green jobs because many of the vehicles and parts are manufactured in California. The following describes the five incentive programs: • Hybrid truck and bus program This $19 million program puts hybrid vehicles on the road with the help of a $10,000 to $35,000 voucher. Hybrid technology is well suited for vehicles that do a lot of stop and go driving or idling. • Clean car rebates This $9 million rebate program pays $1,500 to $5,000 for 100 percent electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars, motorcycles and neighborhood electric vehicles. These rebates come in time for the product launch of new 2011 cars such as the Nissan LEAF. • Lawn equipment rebates This rebate program will pay an average of $200 to replace older, gas equipment with new, cordless equipment, such as lawn mowers and hedge trimmers. The goal of this program is to encourage consumer acceptance and accelerate development of commercial-grade equipment. By next summer, over 10,000 pieces of high polluting equipment will be replaced, helping make the air cleaner for communities already plagued by poor air quality. • Agricultural utility and all terrain vehicle rebates There are rebates for utility and all terrain vehicles that pay 25 percent of the purchase price of a new, zero-emission vehicle that retails for around $5,000 to $13,000. With much of the state’s farming activities taking place in areas in desperate need of cleaner air, these vehicles will indeed help. • Advanced technology demonstration projects Money is available to demonstrate cleaner technologies in trains, boats, off-road vehicles and buses. The technologies must be within three years of being commercially available in the California. It is ARB’s hope that the state will continue funding these programs once the state passes a budget and money is dolled out. When that happens, ARB is ready to introduce an additional $3 million for hybrid off-road equipment such as excavators and dozers. So, get ready to get rid of that old lawn mower in the garage or that old car that you didn’t get to replace during the Fed’s Cash for Clunkers rebate and look forward to some cleaner air. -Mary Salas Fricke More information on AB 118 incentives can be found at: http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aqip/aqip.htm
