Accepting Voucher Requests HOW TO APPLY
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Voucher Incentives

Base Voucher Amounts

Voucher Amounts:

Voucher Amounts:
Equipment Description Base Voucher Amounts
On- and Off-Road Terminal Tractor New Battery-Electric Tractor $90,000
Battery-Electric Conversion Kit $80,000
New Fuel Cell Tractor or Conversion Kit Up to $200,000
Truck- and Trailer-Mounted TRUs* New Truck-Mounted TRU Up to $50,000
New Trailer-Mounted TRU $65,000
Generator Sets Up to $150,000
*TRU’s less than 19kW can be funded
Large Forklift New Forklift 8,001-12,000 Pound Lift Capacity (Lead Acid Battery) $10,000
New Forklift 8,001-12,000 lbs. lift capacity $15,000
New Forklift 12,001-20,000 lbs. lift capacity $20,000
New Forklift 20,001-29,999 lbs. lift capacity $80,000
New Forklift 30,000-34,000 lbs. lift capacity  $100,000
New Forklift 34,001-36,000 lbs. lift capacity $200,000
New Forklift Lift Capacity > 36,001 Pounds Up to $500,000
Cargo Handling Equipment (New or Conversion) > 33,000 lbs. lift capacity

 

 Up to $1,000,000
Airport Cargo Loader (New or Conversion) 10,000-20,000 lbs. capacity Up to $50,000
> 20,000 lbs. capacity Up to $100,000
Wide-body Aircraft Tug (New or Conversion) Lead Acid Up to $80,000
Lithium or Fuel Cell Up to $200,000
Railcar Movers and Freight Locomotives 20,000-35,000 lbs. tractive effort Up to $225,000
> 35,000 lbs. tractive effort Up to $1,000,000
Mobile Power Unit (MPU) and Aircraft Ground Power Unit (GPU)* Battery-(Lithium)** $400/kWh up to $300,000 total
Fuel Cell Up to $300,000
*Lead-acid systems are not eligible.
**Grid tied or tethered MPU or GPUs are not CORE eligible.
Construction (New or Conversion) ≥ 19 kW Internal Combustion Equipment Powered Equivalent Up to $500,000
Agriculture (New or Conversion) ≥ 19 kW Internal Combustion Equipment Powered Equivalent Up to $500,000
Commercial Harbor Craft (New) New Equipment ≥ 19 kW Internal Combustion Powered Equivalent Up to $1,000,000
Commercial Harbor Craft (Conversion) ≥ 19kW to 100 kW Up to $250,000
Commercial Harbor Craft (Conversion) 101kW to 299 kW Up to $500,000
Commercial Harbor Craft (Conversion) 300kW to 499 kW Up to $750,000
Commercial Harbor Craft (Conversion) ≥ 500kW Up to $1,000,000

Plus-Up Enhancements

DAC Enhancement:

Equipment deployed in disadvantaged and low-income communities (DAC/LIC) is eligible for a 10% enhancement of the equipment’s base voucher amount.

Visit CARB’s Auction Proceeds Disadvantaged Communities page to see if you qualify for a DAC Enhancement at https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40.

Small Business Enhancement:

Small businesses are eligible for a 15% enhancement of the equipment’s base voucher amount. Your business qualifies as a small business if it meets the definition in Government Code Section 14837 (d) (1) (A); a small business has “an annual revenue less than $15 million per year and 100 employees or less.” 

Infrastructure Enhancement:

Table 2
Equipment Description Base Voucher Amount
On- and Off-Road Terminal Tractors, Cargo Handling Equipment, Airport Cargo Loaders, Wide-body Aircraft Tugs, Railcar Movers and Freight Locomotives, MPUs and GPUs, Agriculture*, Construction Charging < 50 kW $3,000
Charging ≥ 50 kW $30,000
Hydrogen Fueling $30,000
*Extra Battery $400/kW up to $20,000
Truck- and Trailer-mounted TRUs Charging $3,000**
**Up to three units per trailer-mounted battery-electric TRU 
Hydrogen Fueling $9,000
Large Forklift Charging < 50 kW $3,000
Charging ≥ 50 kW and ≤ 20,000 Pound Lift Capacity $3,000
Charging ≥ 50 kW and > 20,000 Pound Lift Capacity $30,000
Hydrogen Fueling $30,000
Commercial Harbor Craft <99kW Shore Power Voucher $75,000
Commercial Harbor Craft >99kW Zero Emission Advanced Technology Charging Infrastructure Voucher $100,000
Commercial Harbor Craft Zero-Emission Bunkering $100,000
Mobile Power Units  Charging ≥ 50 kW $30,000***
***MPUs deployed as part of an infrastructure enhancement must be CORE eligible MPUs, tethered to the grid, ≥ 50 kWh, and stationary residing at a location for more than 12 consecutive months.

Other California Incentives for Off-Road Equipment and Infrastructure

Advanced Vehicle Technology and Infrastructure Funding Finder Tool

Frequently Asked Questions

Equipment Users

I want to purchase CORE-eligible equipment; how do I apply for a voucher?  

Equipment Purchasers do not apply for CORE Project-funded vouchers. CORE-approved Dealers are responsible for securing CORE voucher funding through the online Voucher Processing Center. An equipment Purchaser should contact a CORE-approved Dealer to acquire their equipment, and the Dealer will receive the voucher. If you have a trusted Dealer network or already have a piece of equipment in mind, connect us with your Dealer, and we can help them become CORE-approved.

Does the size of the fleet matter? No, fleet size does not matter. Requirements and eligibility do not differ based on the size of the fleet.

Can I apply for more than one voucher? Yes. 

Program Basics

What is the Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE)? The CORE Project was established to reduce price barriers, enabling users to adopt more zero-emission equipment. Created by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2017, CORE provides point-of-sale discount vouchers that reduce the purchase cost of equipment operated in California. CORE Project vouchers make zero-emission equipment as affordable as their traditional fossil-fueled counterparts at the point of sale. Funded equipment includes off-road equipment used at ports, rail yards, distribution centers, freight facilities, construction sites, and agricultural industries. CARB recognizes that this equipment has the proven ability to reduce criteria and greenhouse gas pollutants in California and aims to accelerate the penetration of this cleaner equipment to help meet clean-air regulations and climate change goals. The CORE Project is part of the California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that invests Cap and Trade dollars.

How can I be notified of CORE news and events? Sign up for the CORE Project listserv by completing the Contact Us form.

How do we know how much money is available? The ticker at the top of the home page represents funding availability. This reflects the real-time funding availability based on the vouchers requested.

How do I know what equipment is eligible for CORE? All CORE-eligible equipment can be found in the CORE Eligible Equipment Catalog.

What are the base voucher amounts? Base voucher amounts vary based on equipment and consider factors such as type, battery or hydrogen fueling, battery capacity, etc. Please see the Voucher Funding Tables for information on voucher pricing. Additional funding is available for infrastructure, small businesses, and equipment deployed in disadvantaged and low-income (DAC) communities. 

Is stacking allowed with other funding, grants, incentives, etc.? Stacking, or combining CORE funding with other public funding programs, is permitted by the CORE Project but may be disallowed by other programs. Be sure to confirm each funding source’s terms, conditions, and program requirements when evaluating fund-stacking scenarios.

What is a disadvantaged community (DAC)? How can I determine eligibility for a DAC “Plus Up”? A DAC is an area within California that is especially vulnerable to pollution and climate change because of socioeconomic and geographic factors. CORE provides increased incentives for equipment domiciled within disadvantaged and low-income communities. The DAC plus-up in CORE is an additional 10% enhancement of the base voucher amount. To determine if a vehicle qualifies for a DAC “Plus Up” (increased funding), enter the domicile address in the address search bar on this map.

What is the six-month funding cap in CORE? For the first six months of the program, each equipment will fall into one of the categories listed below. Funding categories will be funded equally with available funding.

The Funding Cap Equipment Categories are:

  1. Terminal tractors (both on- and off-road)
  2. TRUs (both truck- and trailer-mounted)
  3. Large forklifts and cargo handling equipment
  4. Airport ground-support equipment (airport cargo loaders, wide-body aircraft tugs, and aircraft GPUs)
  5. Railcar movers and freight locomotives
  6. MPUs and mobile shore power cable management systems
  7. Agricultural and construction equipment
  8. Commercial harbor craft

Note: CARB reserves the right to adjust any caps within the six-month period or extend the cap period beyond six months, if warranted. Infrastructure, DACs, and small business requests are included in category caps.

How does funding prioritization work? Once the funding for a particular category has reached its cap, new voucher requests for that equipment type (including conversions of that equipment type) will be
placed on a contingency list until the cap is lifted. If funding caps for equipment categories are lifted, projects deployed in DACs and/or operated by a small business will be prioritized to receive funding. However, there is no guarantee that funding will be available for the voucher requests on the contingency list.

What is considered a small business? Government Code Section 14837 (d) (1) (A) defines a “small business” as an independently owned and operated business that is not dominant in its field of operation, the principal office of which is located in California, the officers of which are domiciled in California, and which, together with affiliates, has 100 or fewer employees, and an average annual gross receipts threshold of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000). Small businesses are eligible for a 15% voucher incentive enhancement.

Dealers and Manufacturers

I represent a dealership. How do I apply for a voucher? Dealers must be approved to submit voucher requests on behalf of Purchasers. Dealers or Manufacturers who sell CORE-eligible equipment should contact [email protected] to begin the Dealer Enrollment Process. Further instructions can be  found here.

I am a previously approved dealer; do I need to re-enroll? No.

I’m having trouble accessing the Voucher Processing Center, what should I do? You should reach out to [email protected], the Voucher Processing Center Team can help you restore access.

What documents are required throughout the voucher-request and redemption processes? To submit a voucher request, an approved dealer must submit a Purchase Order that reflects CORE funding. Government entities may submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) in lieu of a purchase order. Commercial harbor craft vouchers can also use an LOI instead of a purchase order. Begin the voucher request process by contacting the Voucher Processing Center at [email protected].   

My co-worker is CORE-eligible. Can I use their Voucher Processing Center login? No.

Is equipment that is delivered/titled/paid for prior to a voucher request submittal eligible for funding? No.

Are demo equipment purchases eligible for funding? No. In situations where the purchaser holds an equity interest in the manufacturer (or vice versa); where the purchaser and manufacturer are owned, partially or wholly, by a third party; or where the purchaser and manufacturer share common corporate officials who are responsible for the overall direction of each entity, such purchases shall be considered purchases by the manufacturer, itself, for the purposes of CORE and are not eligible for CORE voucher funding.

How does equipment become CORE-eligible? The California Air Resources Board administers equipment eligibility. Learn more HERE.

Is funding available for retrofitting? Yes, conversions of certain equipment are eligible for funding.

Terminal Tractors

Frequently asked questions on terminal tractors DMV Registration & AB 794: View FAQ Document

Implementation Manuals

FY 23-24 Updates
Historical Documents
Heavy-Duty Workgroups

CORE Heavy-Duty Workgroup – June 26, 2024