Freight and industrial vehicle buyers have already spent this year’s allotment of matching funds for certain categories of zero-emission, heavy-duty, off-road equipment, but plenty of money remains for forklifts and other models, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) said today.

Originally intended only for freight-handling equipment, the department’s Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) has expanded since its initial offering to include funding for agriculture and construction equipment as well.

The program began providing point-of-sale discounts for qualifying vehicles on July 18, and has paid out $75.7 million of the initial $179 million in the six weeks that followed. 

Those early applicants have now claimed all available funds slotted for the terminal tractor, truck- and trailer-mounted transport refrigeration unit (TRUs), and mobile power unit equipment categories. However, incentive funds still remain for the other categories:

• forklifts

• cargo-handling equipment

• airport ground-support equipment

• railcar movers and freight locomotives

• construction equipment

• agricultural equipment

• commercial harbor craft

The CORE project is designed to promote the use of zero-emission vehicles and equipment over internal combustion engine (ICE) options, seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric pollutants, particularly in severely impacted areas; highlight the availability and resilience of zero-emission technology; and provide other off-road sector benefits, including technology transferability, reduced component costs, and increased infrastructure investments. 

The program targets off-road equipment that has not yet achieved a significant foothold in the commercial market by providing funding to offset the initial purchase price of zero-emission technology. CORE offers up to a maximum of $1 million per voucher, with additional funding available through the state’s Energy Infrastructure Incentives for Zero-Emission (EnergIIZE) project.

“The path toward clean air means ensuring that off-road equipment used in different industries, from ports to agriculture, construction, and others, transitions to zero emissions,” Peter Christensen, chief of CARB’s Innovative Strategies Branch, said in a release. “CARB’s CORE project makes it possible for these industries to make the switch and do their part to reduce emissions that impact their workers and the communities that they serve.”

[Source: DV Velocity]