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Voucher Incentives

Other Incentives

Infrastructure Resources

FAQs

Voucher Incentives

Base Voucher Amounts

Voucher Amounts:

Table 1
Equipment Description Base Voucher Amounts
On- and Off-Road Terminal Tractor New Battery-Electric Tractor ≤ 160 kWh $150,000
Battery-Electric Conversion Kit ≤ 160 kWh $100,000
New Battery-Electric Tractor or Conversion Kit > 160 kWh Additional $400 per kWh over 160 kWh up to an additional $50,000
Fuel Cell (New or Conversion) Up to $200,000
Truck and Trailer Mounted TRU New Truck-mounted TRU Up to $50,000
New Trailer-mounted TRU Up to $65,000
Large Forklift New 8,001-12,000 lbs. lift capacity Up to $15,000
New 12,001-20,000 lbs. lift capacity Up to $20,000
New 20,001-33,000 lbs. lift capacity Up to $90,000
New > 33,000 lbs. lift capacity Up to $200,000
Container Handling Equipment (New or Conversion) > 33,000 lbs. capacity Up to $500,000
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-ion or Fuel Cell Up to $200,000
Railcar Mover 20,000-35,000 lbf tractive effort Up to $225,000
> 35,000 lbf tractive effort Up to $500,000
Mobile Power Unit (MPU) and Ground Power Unit (GPU) Battery-electric (lithium-ion only) $400/kWh up to $300,000 total
Fuel Cell Up to $300,000
Mobile Shore Power Cable Management System 6.6 kV minimum; Land-Side Only Up to $500,000
Infrastructure and DAC Enhancements

DAC Enhancement:

Equipment deployed in Disadvantaged and Low-Income Communities (DAC) 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://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/capandtrade/auctionproceeds/communityinvestments.htm.

Infrastructure Enhancement:

Table 2
Equipment Description Base Voucher Amount
On- and Off-Road Terminal Tractor, Container Handling Equipment, Airport Cargo Loader, Wide-body Aircraft Tug, Railcar Movers, MPUs and GPUs Charging < 50 kW $3,000
Charging ≥ 50 kW $30,000
Hydrogen Fueling $30,000
Truck and Trailer-mounted TRUs* Charging $3,000
Hydrogen Fueling $9,000
Large Forklift (≥ 8,001 lb lift capacity) 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
Mobile Shore Power Cable Management System Infrastructure Enhancement Not Applicable
* Up to three units per trailer-mounted battery-electric TRU funded through CORE (based on facility justification)

Other California Incentives for Off-Road Equipment

Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program

California’s 35 Air Districts

  • Carl Moyer provides grant funding for cleaner-than-required engines and equipment. Local air districts administer these grants and select which projects to fund on a cost-effectiveness basis.
Proposition 1B: Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program (GMERP)

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD)

  • GMERP provides incentives to quickly reduce air pollution emissions and health risk from freight movement along California’s trade corridors.
  • Funds can be stacked with CORE in specific cases; please contact info@californiaCORE.org for more information.
Volkswagen Mitigation Trust

California Air Resources Board

  • The California VW Mitigation Trust provides $130 million for zero-emission transit, school, and shuttle buses; $90 million for zero-emission Class 8 freight and port drayage trucks; and $60 million for combustion freight marine.
  • Stacking California VW Mitigation Trust funds with CORE or other CARB funds is not permitted. However, the funds from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust for Indian Tribe Beneficiaries are considered to be the same as local funds and, therefore may be stacked with CORE for projects conducted by eligible Designated Tribal Beneficiaries.
Diesel Emission Reduction Act

EPA

  • DERA has $10 million for zero and near-zero emission equipment, new and replacement, opening early 2020
    • New zero-emission harbor craft and terminal equipment up to 45%
    • CHE replacement up to 25%
    • Diesel engine replacement up to 40% (equipment and labor)
Target Airshed Grant

EPA

  • The Targeted Airshed Grant Program has $50 million for zero and near-zero emission equipment replacements to reduce ozone and particulate matter in non-attainment zones.

November 22, 2019 RFA OPENS
February 14, 2020 RFA CLOSES – APPLICATIONS DUE
May 15, 2020 ANTICIPATED NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION
August 1, 2020 ANTICIPATED AWARD

Infrastructure Resources

PG&E's EV Fleet Program

PG&E’s EV Fleet Program provides construction, activation, and maintenance of EV infrastructure.

SDG&E's Medium/Heavy-Duty EV Charging Infrastructure Program

SDG&E’s Medium/Heavy-Duty EV Charging Infrastructure Program offers make-ready EV charging infrastructure. SDG&E will design, construct, own and maintain the infrastructure from the distribution system to the charging station / EVSE.

The customer will procure and own the charging station / EVSE. EVSE rebate of 50% of cost for transit buses, school buses and sites in Disadvantaged Communities. Will support Class 2 – Class 8 on-road vehicles, forklifts and transport refridgeration units. Will support a minimum of 3,000 vehicles. V2G pilot will utilize 10 electric school buses.

SCE's Charge Ready Transport Program

The Charge Ready Transport Program provides an opportunity for qualifying businesses to have the electric infrastructure installed to support charging stations for an equipment user at no cost to you. Certain businesses, including transit agencies and school bus operators, may also receive rebates covering part of the cost to buy charging stations.

Once your charging stations are set up, you can choose from business-friendly rate options that can help lower your EV charging costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Equipment Users

I would like to purchase CORE-eligible equipment; how do I apply for a voucher? Equipment users do not apply for CORE vouchers. CORE-eligible dealers are responsible for securing CORE voucher funding through the online Voucher Processing Center. A purchaser should connect with a CORE-approved dealer to acquire their equipment and the dealer will take it from there to acquire the voucher. If you have a trusted dealer relationship or already have a piece of equipment in mind, connect us with your dealer and we can help them become CORE-eligible.

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)? CORE was created to reduce price barriers, enabling equipment users to adopt more zero-emission freight-handling 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 the State of California. CORE vouchers make zero-emission equipment as affordable as their traditional fossil-fueled counterparts at point of sale. Funded equipment includes off-road equipment used at ports, airports, rail yards, distribution centers and freight facilities.

Why did CARB create CORE? The goal of CORE is to accelerate and facilitate the adoption of zero-emission off-road equipment. This equipment is relatively new technology and is therefore more expensive than traditional equipment, especially in the early market years when production volumes are low. CARB recognizes that this equipment has the proven ability to reduce criteria and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants in California and aims to accelerate the penetration of these cleaner equipment to help meet state clean air regulations and climate change goals. CORE is part of the California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that invests Cap and Trade dollars.

What is unique about CORE? Vouchers are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that there is no uncertainty regarding securing funding, and no lengthy application or bid process. CORE is a streamlined funding mechanism that is set up for ease of use by end-users. Dealers, not purchasers, are responsible for securing CORE funding – equipment users do not need to gain an understanding of the voucher process to receive the full benefits of CORE funding. A list of participating dealers is available here. CORE is also uniquely suited to benefit disadvantaged and low-income communities disproportionately affected by pollution created by freight-handling equipment.

How can I be notified of CORE news and events? Sign up for the CORE e-mail list by filling out the form: Contact Us.

Who can I contact for more information? Please email info@californiaCORE.org or call the CORE toll-free hotline at 844-919-CORE.

How do we know how much money is available? The ticker at the top of the home page lists how much money remains available to be requested. This reflects the real-time funds, based on the vouchers requested to-date.

How do I know if a vehicle is eligible for CORE? All CORE-eligible vehicles can be found in the clean vehicle catalog. If you think a piece of equipment is eligible, but do not see it listed, please send an email to info@californiaCORE.org.

How much are the vouchers worth? Base voucher amounts vary based on equipment type, battery or hydrogen fueling, and battery capacity. Please see the Voucher Funding Tables for information on voucher pricing. Additional funding is available for infrastructure and for equipment deployed in disadvantaged and low-income (DAC) communities.

Can CORE voucher funding be combined with other funding (grants, incentives, etc.)? Yes, however the ability to combine funding sources may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact info@californiaCORE.org for more information.

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 the impacts of 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 months funding CAP in CORE? For the first six months of the program, each equipment will fall into one of the six categories listed below.  During this time, no one category can receive more than 25% of the total CORE funding and voucher approval in that category will be determined on a case-by-case basis. This was instituted to allow potentially less commercial-ready equipment an opportunity to get their equipment approved before funding runs out. After six months, no such limitations will be in place.

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 container handling equipment,
  4. Airport ground support equipment (airport cargo loaders, wide-body aircraft tugs, and aircraft GPUs),
  5. Railcar movers, and
  6. MPUs and mobile shore power cable management systems.
Dealers

I represent a dealership. How do I apply for a voucher? Dealers must be CORE-certified to be able to submit voucher requests on behalf of their customers. Any dealer or manufacturer who sells CORE-eligible technologies should reach out to info@californiaCORE.org to begin the certification process. Further instructions can be found here.

I was CORE-certified in a past year; am I still an eligible dealer? A VPC account may be deactivated if a dealer has not logged in for over 365 days. If you believe your VPC login has been deactivated, please reach out to info@californiaCORE.org. The program administrators will likely require that you pass the CORE Dealer Quiz before your eligibility status is updated. If you have questions, please call the CORE toll-free line at 844-919-CORE.

I’m having trouble accessing the Voucher Processing Center, what should I do? You should reach out to info@californiaCORE.org. A VPC account may be deactivated if a dealer has not logged in for over 365 days. We can help you restore access.

What paperwork is needed throughout the voucher request and redemption processes? To submit a voucher request, an eligible dealer needs only a Purchase Order that makes clear that CORE funding would be applied. Begin the voucher request process by contacting the Voucher Processing Center at californiaCORE@tetratech.com.

My co-worker is CORE eligible. Can I use his or her Voucher Processing Center login? No, you cannot. There should be no sharing of VPC logins within a dealership. Multiple individuals at dealerships can become CORE-certified: this would allow for multiple individuals to sign off on paperwork for the same voucher and would allow for each dealer to submit and track voucher requests on the VPC.

What happens if a piece of equipment is delivered/titled/paid for ahead of a voucher request being submitted? It is against CORE policy to provide funding for equipment that is delivered/paid for ahead of voucher request. If a piece of equipment is paid for/delivered ahead of voucher request, the dealer and purchaser can appeal to CARB to allow for an exception. Please contact info@californiaCORE.org for more information.

Can a dealer purchase a demo vehicle using a CORE voucher? Yes, if a manufacturer or dealer wants to use a CORE voucher to buy one of their own vehicles for their own use, they can do so for one vehicle every 12 months. If that piece of equipment is later sold, one additional piece of equipment may be bought by the dealer / manufacturer. A written request and written approval is required. Please contact info@californiaCORE.org for more information.

Manufacturers

How does a vehicle become CORE-eligible?  Vehicle eligibility is handled by the California Air Resources Board. Learn more HERE.

Is funding available for retrofitting? Yes, conversions of certain equipment can be funded through CORE. Please refer to the Voucher Funding Tables. 

Can a manufacturer purchase a demo vehicle using a CORE voucher? Yes, if a manufacturer or dealer wants to use a CORE voucher to buy one of their own vehicles for their own use, they can do so for one vehicle every 12 months. If that piece of equipment is later sold, one additional piece of equipment may be bought by the dealer/manufacturer. A written request and written approval is required. Please contact info@californiaCORE.org for more information.