About HVIP

Funds are available now! Funds have been continually available since March 2022. Funding for Fiscal Year 22-23 were added to the remaining Fiscal Year 21-22 allocation when CARB’s 2023 Funding Plan for Clean Transportation Incentives was adopted in November 2022. Specific funds set aside for school buses and small trucking fleets (Innovative Small E-Fleets, ISEF) will have their own timelines later in 2023.  

See funding categories, a summary of voucher enhancements, and daily updates on available funds at www.californiahvip.org/funding.  

The HVIP policy changes were summarized in an announcement.  The FY22-23 Implementation Manual (IM) will be published at the IM page, when available. Please see the IM for more detail about all information provided in this FAQ. Information in this FAQ is contingent upon the IM and subject to change until the IM’s publication. 

Specific funding has been reserved to support the deployment specific to vehicle types. When set-aside funds are fully requested, HVIP will continue to allow standard voucher requests for these vocations pending funding availability. 

• Drayage: $157 million for incentives for zero-emission Class 8 tractors performing drayage operations. The $150,000 base voucher amount per drayage truck for early adopters extends through December 31, 2023. In order to qualify for the Drayage Truck Set-Aside and increased $150,000 voucher amount, purchasers must submit a copy of their fleet’s permission to enter a port or railyard to [email protected] within 30 days of the voucher request. Acceptable documentation includes UIIA Authorization, concession agreements, or other forms of drayage operations permissions. Eligible purchases will automatically be funded via the set-aside with no separate request process. 
• Public Transit: $70 million for zero-emission public transit bus incentives. Requests for public transit buses will automatically be funded via the set-aside with no separate request process.  
• Public School Bus: $135 million for zero-emission school bus incentives through the Public School Bus Set-Aside. Voucher amounts are higher than standard HVIP and are not subject to standard HVIP plus-ups. Requests from school districts and other qualifying purchasers are accepted via a separate application process. See more information at www.californiahvip.org/purchasers/#SchoolBus  or contact [email protected]. IMPORTANT NOTE: The information in these FAQs does NOT apply to the School Bus Set Aside in many cases; the Set Aside rules are unique.  
• How do I request money for public school buses if I am NOT eligible for the Public School Bus Set-Aside? Zero-emission school buses are eligible for a 65% voucher modifier, or plus-up, if not included in the set-aside. These voucher amounts are shown in the catalog at www.californiahvip.org/vehicles. School bus vouchers that are NOT part of the set-aside do NOT require scrappage. 
• Innovative Small e-Fleets (ISEF): The ISEF Set-Aside provides $35 million of pilot funding for incentives for small trucking fleets and independent owner operators. ISEF implements new and innovative mechanisms such as flexible leases, peer-to-peer truck sharing, truck-as-a-service, assistance with infrastructure, and individual owner planning assistance. Requests will be accepted via a separate application process later in 2023. See more ISEF information at www.californiahvip.org/isef or contact [email protected]. IMPORTANT NOTE: The information in these FAQs does NOT apply to ISEF in many cases; ISEF rules are unique.  
• How do I request money for a small truck fleet if I am NOT part of ISEF? Truck purchases are funded via standard HVIP and the drayage set-aside; purchasers should follow the steps at www.californiahvip.org/purchasers  

As of January 1, 2023, any voucher request for a tractor, panel-step van, straight truck, refuse truck, or 2b vehicle requires a mandatory attestation by the purchaser/lessee as to compliance with labor laws. (Unless the purchaser is a rental or leasing entity – applicable to ISEF only.) The attestation must be submitted to www.CAZEVLaborLawCompliance.org and will be required annually, until three years after voucher redemption. The attestation includes that the purchaser will retain direct control over the manner and means for performance of any individual using or driving the vehicle. 

For the purposes of HVIP, vehicles eligible for the 25% Refuse Voucher Enhancement must: 

1. Be HVIP-eligible;
2. Collect garbage as a front load, rear load, side load, or other form of garbage packer truck; and
3. Not be a roll-off or other form of waste transfer vehicle.

CARB’s 2R Initiative (www.californiahvip.org/refusereimagined) aims to double the number of zero-emission refuse collection truck sales in California in 2023. As part of 2R, a voucher enhancement of 25% is applied to HVIP-eligible refuse vehicles used for solid waste collection until December 31, 2023. 

For ePTO, a new $50,000 incentive level for storage capacity of greater than 25 kWh. Also, ePTO systems will now be allowed to fund up to 65% of the total incremental cost.  

Yes. A valid signed Purchase Order (or other binding agreement, contract, buyer’s order, or action/resolution by a government entity’s governing body) is required at the time a voucher request is made (see question below). Non-binding agreements are not sufficient to reserve a voucher. For 2023, POs can be no older than March 30, 2022.  

An exception is granted to transit vouchers. See the next Question for more information.

A Letter of Intent (LOI) is permitted for transit agencies in lieu of a purchase order at the point of voucher request submission, starting 4/3/2023. The date of signature on the LOI may be no earlier than January 1, 2023. A purchase order (or other binding agreement) will be required within 6 months of submission, otherwise the voucher requests will be cancelled. Check out californiaHVIP.org/TransitBus for additional transit information.

The DAC incentive is 15% and is available only for vehicles domiciled in a disadvantaged community (DAC) that are purchased or leased by a public or private small fleet with 10 or fewer trucks or buses, and less than $50 million in annual revenue for private fleets. There is no revenue cap for public entities. The increased voucher enhancement is also available for ANY purchase or lease by a California Native American tribal government.  

Effective 4/3/23, HVIP defines DAC eligibility as vehicle domicile address in any of the following areas of the map at https://webmaps.arb.ca.gov/PriorityPopulations/   

• Disadvantaged Communities (orange area on map legend)   
• Disadvantaged and Low Income Communities (pink area on map legend)   
• Low Income Communities within ½ mile of a Disadvantaged Community (yellow area on map legend) and   
• Low Income Households within ½ mile of a Disadvantaged Community (green striped area on map legend)  

Fleet size includes all vehicles with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs under common ownership or control and domiciled in California, including unregistered and inoperable vehicles. Unredeemed HVIP vouchers count toward this total. Any entity requesting more than 10 HVIP vouchers also does not qualify as a small fleet in HVIP. Yard trucks and other off-road vehicles do not count toward the fleet size.

The voucher modifiers can be found on the Funding Page.

Starting Jan. 1, 2023, voucher amounts are modified according to the table below. California Native American Tribal Governments and 501(c)(3) nonprofits are exempt from the reductions above. Additionally, purchases of fuel cell vehicles are not subject to the reductions. 

Voucher Adjustments based on fleet size can be found on the Funding Page.

Fleet size includes all vehicles with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs under common ownership or control and domiciled in California, including unregistered and inoperable vehicles. Unredeemed HVIP vouchers count toward this total. Any entity requesting more than 10 HVIP vouchers also does not qualify as a small fleet in HVIP. Yard trucks and other off-road vehicles do not count toward the fleet size.  

Fleet size the purpose of the fleet size adjustments and bulk purchase requirement include all vehicles with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs under common ownership or control and domiciled in California, including unregistered and inoperable vehicles. Unredeemed HVIP vouchers count toward this total. For example, a fleet with 8 vehicles with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs under common ownership or control and domiciled in California that also has 4 existing unredeemed voucher requests does not qualify as a small fleet in HVIP. A fleet size of zero is not acceptable. If a voucher represents the first purchase of a vehicle with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs under common ownership or control and domiciled in California, a fleet size of “1” should be entered. Yard trucks and other off-road vehicles do not count toward the fleet size. 

Ownership or control means being owned by the same person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or association. In addition, vehicles managed day to day by the same directors, officers, or managers, or by corporations controlled by the same majority stockholders are considered to be under common control even if their title is held by different business entities. Vehicles owned by different entities but operated by using common or shared resources to manage the day-to-day operations by using the same motor carrier number, displaying the same name or logo, or contractors who represent the same company are considered to be under common ownership or control. Common ownership or control includes relationships where the controlling party has the right to direct or control the vehicle as to the details of when, where, and how work is to be performed or where expenses for operating the vehicle, such as fuel or insurance, are shared. However, if the purchaser is hired as a contractor by a larger fleet the purchaser does not need to count trucks operated by the hiring fleet as part of the purchaser’s fleet size, though the contractor’s vehicles are counted as part of the hiring fleet. At CARB’s sole discretion the contractor may be required to provide additional documentation, including but not limited to, copies of their California Business License, CA # or DOT #, or a copy of their written contract agreement with the hiring fleet. Common ownership or control does not include agreements for individual loads that are competitively bid and issued to the lowest qualifying bid, and such agreements do not need to be counted towards a purchaser’s fleet size.

Additional verification of fleet size may be required at CARB’s sole discretion, including site visits. 

Starting Jan. 1, 2023, a Bulk Purchase requirement is in effect for private fleets with 501 or more vehicles with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs under common ownership or control and domiciled in California. Also, such fleets can only request vouchers for vehicles domiciled in a Disadvantaged Community (DAC). 

The Bulk PO will be required to be uploaded to the VPC when the voucher batch progresses to the status of Funded on or after April 3, 2023. Specifically, the PO must be for at least 30 HVIP eligible vehicles, and the HVIP incentive will be applied only for vehicles purchased above 30. The non-HVIP-funded vehicles in the bulk order do not need to be domiciled in a DAC. The existing fleet voucher request limit of 30 vouchers per fleet per year (50 vouchers for drayage trucks) continues to apply, regardless of the size of the bulk order. POs can be no older than 3/30/22. If the bulk order is comprised of POs from more than one dealer / OEM, HVIP staff will work with the purchaser to manage the remaining PO (s) for the bulk order. 

Bulk purchases are not required for fuel cell vehicles; they can be purchased in any quantity. Also, 501(c)(3) nonprofits are exempt from the bulk purchase requirement. 

The existing fleet voucher request limit of 30 voucher per fleet, per year (50 vouchers for drayage trucks) continues to apply, regardless of the size of the bulk order.  

Fleet size includes all vehicles with a GVWR greater than 8,500 lbs under common ownership or control and domiciled in California, including unregistered and inoperable vehicles. Unredeemed HVIP vouchers count toward this total. Any entity requesting more than 10 HVIP vouchers also does not qualify as a small fleet in HVIP. Yard trucks and other off-road vehicles do not count toward the fleet size.  

Each fleet purchaser is limited to a “cap” of 30 voucher requests per calendar year, except for drayage fleets, which are limited to 50 voucher requests per calendar year. Starting in 2023, any redeemed vouchers that were requested in the same year (representing delivered vehicles) will be exempt from the voucher cap. For example, if a fleet requests 30 vouchers in April, and redeems 10 in September, they are eligible to request 10 more before the end of the calendar year. Vehicles under common ownership or control that share a common TIN or CA # are considered part of a single fleet, even if they are part of different subsidiaries, divisions, or other organizational structures of a company or government agency. 

If a fleet already has 30 vouchers (50 for drayage) submitted in a given calendar year that reach the status of “Accepted” or higher in the HVIP Voucher Processing Center, any additional voucher requests for that fleet will be rejected and the dealer and fleet will be notified. The fleet can request new vouchers in the next calendar year. An exception to this is if a purchaser redeems a portion of their requested vouchers within the same calendar year as the vouchers were requested; the number of vouchers that was redeemed can be requested again before the end of the calendar year without counting towards the cap. 

In instances where a public government entity has a binding sales agreement in place for more than 30 vehicles, that agreement can be used in two different calendar years (to obtain vouchers for 30 vehicles in the first calendar year and up to 30 more in the second calendar year). However, reserving vouchers in year one does not guarantee vouchers in year two; vouchers are first-come, first-served as funds are available.  

If a purchaser is affiliated with vouchers that had been “Accepted” but subsequently cancelled, and wants to exceed the cap for this reason, please contact [email protected].  

The Standard HVIP voucher request and redemption process has not changed substantially from previous years. Dealers are responsible for taking the necessary training to become HVIP Approved Dealers and request vouchers on behalf of the customer. Purchasers receive the full incentive amount discounted from the sale at the point of purchase. Once the vehicle has been delivered, customer pays, and the voucher is redeemed, the HVIP Approved Dealer then receives a check from CALSTART for the full voucher amount.   

The online Voucher Processing Center steps have changed. A mandatory training guide and video will be released to dealers in advance of HVIP’s re-opening.   

Duplicate voucher requests are two or more voucher requests for the same purchaser, vehicle, and domicile location submitted by the same dealership. If two duplicate batches of different quantities are submitted, the smaller batch will be cancelled.    

No. Dealerships, manufacturers, and leasing entities are prohibited from requesting a voucher as a purchaser. The purchaser must be the lessee and operator of the vehicle, not the lessor. Consequently, invoices must be issued to the purchaser (lessee), not the leasing entity. 

The exception is ISEF; see www.californiahvip/purchasers/ for more information.

The manufacturer rolling “soft” cap allows each manufacturer to hold up to 100 unredeemed vouchers at a time across all the manufacturer’s HVIP-eligible product line, which includes the parent company and its subsidiaries/brands unless vehicles from the separate brands are produced at separate manufacturing sites. As of January 1, 2023, requests from fleets with 10 and fewer vehicles do not count toward the 100-voucher cap. As a manufacturer redeems vouchers, more vouchers will become available for vehicles from that manufacturer. Under the “soft” cap, manufacturers can be granted additional vouchers beyond the cap on a case-by-case basis. OEMs who maintain an average voucher redemption rate of at least 50 vouchers over a 6-month period or 100 vouchers over a 12-month period starting January 1, 2023 are exempt from the cap.  

Initially, 70% of FY22-23 HVIP standard and drayage set-aside funding will be reserved for private fleets with 100 vehicles or fewer and all public fleets. If more than $100 million remains in the reserve on July 1, 2023, HVIP will release 30% of the remaining funding to private fleets with more than 100 vehicles. If funding remains in the reserve on November 1, 2023, HVIP will open all remaining HVIP standard and drayage set-aside funding to private fleets with more than 100 vehicles. The reserve only applies to the FY22-23 allocation, any remaining FY21-22 funds will be available for fleets of all sizes.  

Effective 1/1/23, fleets size 10 vehicles and smaller can combine state funding sources with HVIP if the other program allows stacking, each incentive program is not paying for the same incremental cost, and the non-HVIP incentive program is not required to generate greenhouse gas emission reductions. 

Programs that can now be stacked with HVIP for small fleets include Carl Moyer Memorial Air Quality Standards Attainment Program and the CARB Truck Loan Assistance Program. A list with additional programs is expected to be published in the FY22-23 Implementation Manual in early 2023. 

Transit buses operated by or on behalf of a city or county government; a transportation district/transit district; or a public agency, including paratransit and micro-transit services may stack State-funded incentives with HVIP regardless of fleet size. When stacking HVIP vouchers with other funding sources for public transit buses, HVIP funding may be combined with the provision that HVIP will only fund the remaining cost up to the maximum voucher amount after the other incentives have been applied at their maximum allowable amounts.    

Dealers can use any form of a letter from their affiliated OEMs, even a pdf’d email correspondence with the manufacturer stating that the specific dealership is authorized to sell specific vehicles from the HVIP catalog (www.californiahvip.org/vehiclecatalog). Manufacturers who are also acting as dealers are exempt from submitting this letter

No. Once a voucher request is submitted, along with the purchase order or other binding sales agreement representing a real vehicle order cannot be changed. Dealers may cancel the existing voucher and submit a new voucher request with the correct vehicle information if funds are available. 

On November 17, 2022, the California Air Resources Board approved the FY22-23 Funding Plan for Clean Transportation Incentives, which includes policy changes and an allocation of over $1.7 billion to be administered by the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP).

HVIP’s Funding Allocation

HVIP Standard: $265 million
Zero-Emission Public Transit Buses: $70 million
Zero-Emission Public School Buses (through the existing Public School Bus Set Aside): $135 million
Zero-Emission Drayage Trucks: $157 million
Innovative Small E-Fleets: $35 million
Local Education Agency School Bus Replacement Grants: $1.125 billion, to be awarded in $225 million increments between FY23-24 and FY27-28.
These funds add to the funding that still remains at www.californiahvip.org/funding. Incentives are still AVAILABLE NOW for all vehicle types.

Once the 2023 opening date is available, it will be posted on the HVIP website.

The FY22-23 Funding Plan for Clean Transportation Incentives was approved by the CARB Board in November 2022. The HVIP policy changes were summarized in an announcement.

The FY22-23 Implementation Manual (IM) will be available on the IM page once published. Information in this FAQ is contingent upon the IM and subject to change until the IM’s publication.

Set amounts of funding have been reserved to support the deployment of zero-emission drayage trucks, public transit buses, public school buses, and support small-fleets and owner operators. Additional information about each of these set-asides for FY22-23 is provided below, as well as any changes to the voucher request process unique to each set-aside.

Note: When the drayage, public transit, and public school bus set-aside funds are fully requested, HVIP will continue to allow standard voucher requests for these vocations pending funding availability.

Drayage: Upon reopening, $146 million for incentives for zero-emission class 8 tractors performing drayage operations. The +25% voucher modifier for drayage truck early adopters extends through December 31, 2023.

Public Transit: $70 million for zero-emission public transit bus incentives. Requests for public transit buses will automatically be placed into the set-aside.

Public School Bus: $135 million for zero-emission school bus incentives through the Public School Bus Set-Aside for Small and Medium Air Districts. Voucher amounts for public school bus fleets and other qualifying purchasers buying zero-emission school buses are anticipated to cover most of the cost of the new school bus. Voucher amounts will be based on school bus types and will not be subject to standard HVIP Plus-ups. Applications from qualifying purchasers will be accepted via a separate application portal in two steps, a Part A application requesting basic eligibility information, and if selected, a Part B application will be administered by the selected vendor and processed by the vendor. Requests from qualifying purchasers located in a small air district AND a disadvantaged community will be prioritized for the first 90 days. See more information at www.californiahvip.org/purchasers or contact [email protected].

Innovative Small e-Fleets: The Innovative Small e-Fleets (ISEF) set-aside provides $35 million of pilot funding for incentives for small trucking fleets and independent owner operators. ISEF will implement new and innovative mechanisms such as flexible leases, peer to peer truck sharing, truck as a service, assistance with infrastructure, and individual owner planning assistance. See more ISEF information at www.californiahvip.org/isef or contact [email protected]. IMPORTANT NOTE: The information in these FAQs does NOT apply to ISEF in many cases; ISEF rules are unique.

In order to qualify for the drayage truck set aside and increased $150,000 voucher amount,  purchasers must submit a copy of their fleet’s permission to enter a port or railyard to [email protected] within 30 days of the voucher request. Acceptable documentation includes UIIA Authorization, concession agreements, or other forms of drayage operations permissions.

Zero-emission school buses are eligible for a 65% voucher modifier, or plus up, if not included in the set-aside. These voucher amounts are shown in the catalog at www.californiahvip.org/vehicles. School bus vouchers that are NOT part of the set-aside do NOT require scrappage. 

Yes. A valid signed Purchase Order (or other binding Agreement, Contract, Buyer’s Order, or action/resolution by a government entity’s governing body) is required at the time a voucher request is made. Non-binding agreements are not sufficient to reserve a voucher. POs for non-drayage private-entity purchasers can be no older than 30 days prior to the date that HVIP re-opens. 

Please note that purchase orders can be dated no earlier than March 30, 2022.

A purchase order or other binding sales agreement that was eligible at the time of the initial opening will remain eligible throughout the project year. 

The Purchase Order must include the purchaser and dealer names, HVIP voucher amount, number of units (if a batch request), model and year of the vehicle, issued date, and the purchaser’s signature. 

Please note that PO requirements are different for school bus requests that are part of the Public School Bus Set-Aside for Small and Medium Air Districts. For example, non-binding Letters of Intent are sufficient for application Part A. See more details in the School Bus section at www.californiahvip.org/purchasers  

If the dollar value of all requests received for standard HVIP funds during the first 24 hours that HVIP is open is greater than the amount of available funds, funding will be assigned using a randomization process. After the first 24 hours, requests are first come first served. Requests for vehicles domiciled in disadvantaged communities are prioritized in the randomization process. If demand for the drayage and/or transit set-asides exceeds available funds in the first 24 hours, requests will be randomized within each separate vocational cohort.

Initially, 70% of FY22-23 HVIP standard and drayage set-aside funding will be reserved for private fleets with 100 vehicles or fewer and all public fleets. If more than $100 million remains in the reserve on July 1, 2023, HVIP will release 30% of the remaining funding to private fleets with more than 100 vehicles. If funding remains in the reserve on November 1, 2023, HVIP will open all remaining HVIP standard funding and drayage set-aside funding to private fleets with more than 100 vehicles. The reserve only applies to the FY22-23 allocation– any remaining FY21-22 funds will be available for fleets of all sizes.

The current DAC incentive is 15% and is available only for vehicles domiciled in a disadvantaged community that are purchased or leased by a public or private small fleet with 10 or fewer trucks or buses and less than $50 million in annual revenue for private fleets. There is no revenue cap for public entities. The increased voucher enhancement is also available for ANY purchase or lease by a California Native American tribal government. 

Effective 4/3/23, HVIP defines DAC eligibility as a vehicle domicile address in any of the following areas of the map at https://webmaps.arb.ca.gov/PriorityPopulations/:

• Disadvantaged Communities (orange area on map legend)
• Disadvantaged and Low Income Communities (pink area on map legend)
• Low Income Communities within ½ mile of a Disadvantaged Community (yellow area on map legend) and
• Low Income Households within ½ mile of a Disadvantaged Community (green striped area on map legend)

Each fleet purchaser is limited to a “cap” of 30 voucher requests per calendar year, except for drayage fleets which are limited to 50 voucher requests per calendar year. Starting in 2022, any redeemed vouchers that were requested in the same year (representing delivered vehicles) will be exempt from the voucher cap. For example, if a fleet requests 30 vouchers in April, and redeems 10 in September, they are eligible to request 10 more before the end of the calendar year. Vehicles under common ownership or control that share a common TIN or CA # are considered part of a single fleet, even if they are part of different subsidiaries, divisions, or other organizational structures of a company or government agency.

If a fleet already has 30 vouchers (50 for drayage) submitted in a given calendar year that reach the status of “Accepted” or higher in the HVIP Voucher Processing Center, any additional voucher requests for that fleet will be rejected and the dealer and fleet will be notified. The fleet can request new vouchers in the next calendar year. An exception to this is if a purchaser redeems a portion of their requested vouchers within the same calendar year as the vouchers were requested, the number of vouchers that was redeemed can be requested again before the end of the calendar year without counting towards the cap.

In instances where a public government entity has a binding sales agreement in place for more than 30 vehicles, that agreement can be used in two different calendar years (to obtain vouchers for 30 vehicles in the first calendar year and up to 30 more in the second calendar year). However, reserving vouchers in year one does not guarantee vouchers in year two; vouchers are first-come, first-served as funds are available. 

If a purchaser is affiliated with vouchers that had been Accepted but subsequently cancelled, and wants to exceed the cap for this reason, please contact [email protected]. 

Class 2b vehicles designed exclusively for commercial use can be funded by HVIP. The incentive amounts can be in the funding tables.

The standard HVIP voucher request and redemption process has not changed substantially from previous years. Dealers are responsible for taking the necessary training to become HVIP approved and request vouchers on behalf of the customer. Purchasers receive the full incentive amount discounted from the sale at the point of purchase. Once the vehicle has been delivered, customer pays, and the voucher is redeemed, the HVIP approved dealer then receives a check from CALSTART for the full voucher amount.  

The online Voucher Processing Center steps have changed. A mandatory training guide and video will be released to dealers in advance of HVIP’s re-opening.  

Duplicate voucher requests are two or more voucher requests for the same purchaser, vehicle, and domicile location submitted by the same dealership. If two duplicate batches of different quantities are submitted, the smaller batch will be cancelled.   

No. Dealerships, manufacturers, and leasing entities are prohibited from requesting a voucher as a purchaser. The purchaser must be the lessee and operator of the vehicle, not the lessor. Consequently, invoices must be issued to the purchaser (lessee), not the leasing entity.

Dealers can use any form of a letter from OEMs, even a pdf’d email correspondence with the manufacturer stating that the specific dealership is authorized to sell specific vehicles from the HVIP catalog (www.californiahvip.org/vehiclecatalog). Manufacturers who are also acting as dealers are exempt from submitting this letter.  

If standard HVIP funds are still available but drayage or public transit set-asides are oversubscribed then additional drayage or transit requests will be funded from standard HVIP funds. The set-asides will only be randomized if standard HVIP is oversubscribed as well, and only within their own vocational cohorts. See the Implementation Manual for more details.  

A manufacturer who receives a cap exceedance approval or denial may re-submit for reevaluation by CARB after no fewer than 90 calendar days. 

Yes, when determining fleet size, non-functional and non-registered vehicles must be included.

No. Once a voucher request is submitted– along with the purchase order or other binding sales agreement representing a real vehicle order cannot be changed.

Dealers may cancel the existing voucher and submit a new voucher request with the correct vehicle information if funds are available.

ISEF providers include companies involved in the sale, rental, financing, and fueling of zero-emission commercial trucks and are hereafter referred to as “Providers.” Providers develop an offering proposal designed to offer small fleets monthly or per-mile costs for zero-emission trucks that are equivalent to comparable combustion–vehicle operating costs. The proposal may take the form of a purchase, lease, rental, financing, or other service agreement. 

Yes, a dealer can be a Provider. To become an eligible Provider a dealer must fill out the Provider Application. 

Yes, ISEF vouchers count against the overall manufacture cap. 

“Eligible Small Fleets” include California-based, privately owned trucking companies, independent owner-operators, and non-profits with fewer than 20 trucks and an annual revenue of less than $15 million.   

Vouchers for the ISEF set-aside may cover costs related to the purchase and operation of the eligible vehicle, including charger costs, insurance, and fuel costs (if included in Provider Eligibility Application).  

Vouchers for the ISEF set-aside cannot be applied to taxes, infrastructure installation, or infrastructure make-ready costs. 

No Provider may receive more than 15 percent of total ISEF set-aside voucher funding within the first six months after the program launches on August 31, 2022. CARB will continue to evaluate needs in the funding categories after the first six months and may continue limits if warranted. Once the funding for a particular Provider has reached its cap, new voucher requests for that Provider will be placed on a contingency list until the cap is lifted. CARB reserves the right to set additional criteria for, modify, or eliminate any contingency lists. 

For ISEF, eligible vehicles are Class 3-8 and are included in the HVIP catalog at https://californiahvip.org/vehiclecatalog/ . 

No, there is no scrappage requirement for ISEF. 

Yes, ISEF is open to new companies but information from standard business set–up will be needed to complete voucher requests. 

Truck-as-a-service (TAAS) allows customers to lease battery-electric trucks at a per-mile or per-route rate and can include vehicles, costs of charging infrastructure, installation, and maintenance. 

Other available funding opportunities can be found in the Funding Finder Tool at https://fundingfindertool.org/. 

A TIN is a Taxpayer Identification Number, used by the Internal Revenue Service.  

The California Highway Patrol requires in-state motor carriers to acquire a California Carrier Identification Number (CA #) in order to obtain a Motor Carrier Permit.  

Both TIN and CA # are required upon voucher request submission.  

The “Purchaser” is the fleet that will purchase or lease the eligible vehicle and operate the vehicle for at least three years. Vehicles under common ownership or control that share a common TIN or CA # are considered part of a single fleet. A purchaser is not a manufacturer, dealership, or leasing company that enters into any agreement with another party to operate the vehicle. The purchaser listed on the voucher request cannot change after the voucher request is submitted. 

The manufacturer rolling “soft” cap allows each manufacturer to hold up to 100 unredeemed vouchers at a time across all of the manufacturer’s HVIP-eligible product line and approved Dealers. As a manufacturer redeems vouchers, more vouchers will become available for vehicles from that manufacturer. Under the “soft” cap, manufacturers can be granted additional vouchers beyond the cap on a case-by-case basis.  

The cap does not prevent vouchers from being requested for a manufacturer’s technologies; rather it triggers the requirement for a case by case review process by CARB in order for those additional vouchers to be accepted. To request case by case approval to exceed the cap, manufacturers should contact  [email protected]. The evaluation includes documentation from the manufacturer regarding their build progress and delivery plan for unredeemed vouchers as well as past delivery performance.

Vouchers exceeding 100 will remain in the Voucher Processing Center and retain their place in line (by order received) during case by case review, however they will not be accepted until and unless approved by CARB. If a batch request causes the cap to be exceeded, the quantity of voucher requests in the batch that are below the cap can proceed while the quantity that are above the cap will require case by case review.  

Starting January 1, 2023, requests from fleets with 10 vehicles or fewer are exempt from the existing manufacturer rolling soft cap limit. Also, manufacturers are exempt from the cap if they maintain an average voucher redemption rate of at least 50 vouchers over a 6-month period or 100 vouchers over a 12-month period starting January 1, 2023.

Yes. Any vouchers currently unredeemed in the Voucher Processing Center for currently eligible technologies count toward the 100-voucher total. 

• If you are a purchaser,  you are encouraged to inquire about a manufacturer’s voucher status from your HVIP-approved dealer. 
• If you are a dealer,  you are responsible for communicating with the manufacturers. Please contact your affiliated manufacturer(s) for an update on their voucher status when planning sales. Totals can also be viewed in the Voucher Processing Center.  
• If you are a manufacturer who does not also participate in HVIP as a dealer and therefore you don’t have access to the Voucher Processing Center, you can request a summary at any time from [email protected]. You will also receive the same information via email quarterly.

Unredeemed vouchers currently in the Voucher Processing Center will not be lost/cancelled/voided due to HVIP’s reopening. Current vouchers have secured funds attached to them.  

No, they are not eligible. 

Yes, the service facility must be affiliated with the vehicle manufacturer, located in California, and able to provide vehicle service, warranty service, dealer training, and repairs. 

Residential addresses are not allowed to be used as a vehicle domicile location unless specifically approved by CARB. To seek approval, please contact [email protected] to provide a letter of explanation. Additionally, school bus domicile locations not affiliated with the purchasing school district are prohibited. The Voucher Processing Center team will also verify that the domicile address is affiliated with the purchaser, is in California, and is in a DAC (if DAC plus-up is provided).    the domicile addresses must have the parking and charging-infrastructure capacity for the number of HVIP-funded vehicles that share the same domicile address. Verification may be requested by CARB or it’s designee. 

Vehicle dealers must provide all the requested voucher redemption-related information within 10 business days of the written request for this information.   

For commercial fleets interested in infrastructure incentives, please visit www.energiize.org to learn more. EnergIIZE provides incentives for zero-emission vehicle infrastructure equipment for medium- and heavy-duty battery electric and fuel cell vehicles in California. 

Yes, any purchaser who is a non-profit, will be required to submit a Form 990 at the point of the voucher request. 

Yes, you must be compliant with TRUCR, 365 days after the voucher is requested or the voucher will be cancelled. 

See www.californiahvip.org/contact for specific contact information. We’re here to help and will make sure you get to the right spot.