HVIP Program Definitions Guide

Account Sharing

A feature within the VPC which allows multiple HVIP-approved dealers within the same organization to view/edit each other’s vouchers.

Batch

A quantity greater than one on a voucher request with the same purchaser, vehicle, and vehicle domicile.

Bill of Lading (BOL)

A written receipt that confirms transportation of goods by a carrier (i.e., a binding contract that evidences an agreement of shipment between carrier and shipper; a receipt that acts as evidence of delivery of the shipment). The delivery address should match the domicile address on file.

CARB-Certified

A vehicle that has been certified and issued an Executive Order by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

CARB Project Liaison

A CARB staff person named in this Implementation Manual who serves as the point of contact for coordination with HVIP Grantee.

California Native American Tribal Government

Includes all federally recognized tribes in California listed on the most recent notice of the Federal Register, and non-federally recognized tribes, including those listed on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the California Native American Heritage Commission.

Commercial Vehicle

Any vehicle used by a business, public or governmental agency, or non-profit to carry people, property, or hazardous materials.

Complete Vehicle

As defined by the Federal Transit Administration, it’s a vehicle that requires no further manufacturing operations to perform its intended function. This includes vehicles that are altered only by the addition, substitution, or removal of readily attachable components (such as mirrors, or tire and rim assemblies) or minor finishing operations (such as painting) in such a manner that the vehicle’s stated weight ratings are still valid.

Dealer

An approved vendor of the complete vehicle or a vendor that sells and installs engines in existing vehicles, including dealers or manufacturers selling new medium- or heavy-duty vehicles directly to a vehicle purchaser.

Disadvantaged Communities

Disadvantages Communities, also referred to as DAC, are identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). To determine eligibility for a disadvantaged community, the Grantee must use the criteria in Assembly Bill 1550. For the DAC incentive, the domicile address must fall in one of the following areas of the California Climate Investment’s Priority Populations Mapping Tool.

Domicile

A vehicle’s home base or deployed location; where the vehicle stays overnight, returns after its route, or is parked when it is not working.

Earned Interest

Any interest generated from the State Air Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) funds provided to the Grantee and held in an interest-bearing account.

Expend

The payment of funds on an invoice for an eligible vehicle.

Exportable Power

AC electrical power generated by a commercial plug-in vehicle, typically to power electric tools, lighting, or other accessories at a job site.

Fleet

Vehicles traveling in California, owned by a person, business, non-profit or government agency and consists of one or more vehicles. Vehicles under common ownership or control 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. A fleet is not a manufacturer, dealership, or leasing company that enters into any agreement with another party to operate the vehicles.

Fleet Size

HVIP’s fleet size definition includes all vehicles over 8,500 lbs GVWR under common ownership or control, including those domiciled anywhere outside of California. This includes vehicles registered with the California Department of Vehicles (DMV) as non-operational, but excludes off-road vehicles, unregistered vehicles, and those registered with the DMV as non-revivable junk or dismantled. Unredeemed vouchers count toward this total.

Grams per Brake Horsepower Hour (g/bhp-hr)

A measure of the amount of fuel consumed by an engine to produce a unit of power.

Grantee

The entity selected by CARB via competitive solicitation to administer HVIP. The Grantee is responsible for ensuring the program and its HVIP subcontractors meet all project requirements.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

The vehicle weight described on the VIN tag or original manufacturer Line Setting Ticket provided to the vehicle dealer.

HVIP-Eligible Vehicle Type

Types listed in the Voucher Processing Center and Vehicle Catalog include: ePTO, Heavy Duty Bus, Medium Duty Bus, Refuse, School Bus, Step/Panel Van, Straight Truck, and Tractor.

Hybrid Vehicle

Any vehicle that can draw propulsion energy from both consumable fuel and a rechargeable energy storage system.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

A zero-emission vehicle that is fueled primarily by hydrogen and does not have plug-in capacity.

Incomplete Vehicle

As defined by the Federal Transit Administration, it’s an assemblage of components consisting of, as a minimum, frame and chassis structure, powertrain, steering system, suspension system, and braking system, to the extent that those systems are to be part of a completed vehicle.

Incremental Cost

The difference in cost between a HVIP-eligible vehicle and a comparable new conventionally fueled vehicle that would be purchased to perform the same function. For engine vouchers, incremental cost is the cost difference between a baseline vehicle/engine and one certified to the standard utilizing the same fuel type. This cost is determined case by case upon the manufacturer’s HVIP eligibility application, HVIP voucher redemption data, and other relevant data and information.

In-Kind Services

Payments or contributions made in the form of goods and services, rather than direct monetary contributions.

Lessor Entity

Often a financial institution that holds the lease on an HVIP-funded vehicle.

Line Setting Ticket

The factory build or construction sheet created when the vehicle order is sent to the vehicle manufacturer. The Line Setting Ticket typically includes the new vehicle’s VIN, all the codes for standard equipment, and options the salesperson used to create this vehicle for their purchaser. After the factory assembles the vehicle and the vehicle is shipped and sold, the Line Setting Ticket identifies such things as the gross vehicle weight rating, engine type, transmission type, drive line, paint codes, gear ratio, and standard and optional equipment, specific to that vehicle.

Match Funding

Funds contributed by the Grantee directly to HVIP for the sole purpose of funding additional vehicles or increasing the vehicle voucher amount.

Nonprofit or Nonprofit Agency

An agency or corporation that does not distribute corporate income to shareholders and is exempt from federal income taxes under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C.A. § 501). Nonprofits are categorized as private entities in HVIP.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle

A hybrid electric vehicle that has:

  • zero-emission vehicle range capability
  • on-board electrical energy storage device with useful capacity equivalent to greater than or equal to ten miles of Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule range on electricity alone
  • is equipped with an on-board charger
  • is rechargeable from an external connection to an off-board electrical source
  • also known as a Grid-connected HEV or GHEV
Public Fleet

Includes all federal, state, city and government fleets, plus public universities, public airports, public school districts, California public ports and special districts such as water, utility, and irrigation districts.

Public Transit Bus

An on-road vehicle greater than 14,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), owned or operated by a city or county government; a transportation district, transit district, or a public agency. Public transit includes paratransit and micro transit services run by or for a public transit agency. It does not include restricted-use shuttles like airport, university, or prisoner transport shuttles.

Purchaser

A purchaser is an individual or entity that acquires a vehicle for direct use and does not include manufacturers, dealerships, or leasing companies that assign the operation of the vehicle to others.

Manufacturer Recommended Minimum State-of-Charge

The minimum allowable battery capacity recommended by the battery manufacturer to ensure the most efficient and durable battery operation, as a percent of the maximum battery capacity.

Refuse Vehicle

A specialized vehicle designed to collect compact garbage using front-loading, rear-loading, side-loading, or other garbage packing mechanisms. This does not include roll-off trucks or other waste transfer vehicles that transport containers without built-in compaction systems.

Repower

The replacement of an existing engine with a new engine certified to any tier of the optional emission standard approved by CARB, instead of rebuilding the existing engine to its original specifications.

Small Fleet

A public fleet with 20 or fewer medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) vehicles or private fleets with 20 or fewer MHD vehicles and less than $15 million in annual revenue.

Telematics

A data acquisition system capable of collecting vehicle GPS data, vehicle mileage and hours of operation.

Truck Equipment Manufacturer (TEM)

A company that installs equipment on a truck or bus chassis. The TEM bears full responsibility for any vehicle defects under federal law and is responsible for certifying that the vehicle meets all applicable federal safety standards.

UDDS

An Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule is a test cycle used by the EPA to simulate city driving conditions, including frequent stops and starts.

Zero-Emission Power Take-Off (ePTO)

A method for taking power from an on-vehicle source (typically a battery) that produces no emissions of pollutants that can be used to power truck mounted hydraulic, pneumatic or electric work equipment utilized for performing stationary work.

Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV)

A vehicle that itself produces no emissions of pollutants (including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, and particulates) when stationary or operating.

Zero-Emission Vehicle Conversions

Removal of any type of existing propulsion system and replacing it with a zero-emission propulsion system, such as battery or hydrogen fuel cell powered electric powertrain/drivetrain.

1 The identified disadvantaged community census tracts are available from California Environmental Protection Agency.

2 Assembly Bill 1550 Implementation, contains the criteria for determining whether a project is located within a disadvantaged community.

The HVIP Program Definitions and Acronym List, as found in the FY20-21 Implementation Manual, are available for download.

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