Onondaga County among NY locales eligible for electric truck vouchers
Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.com By
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on August 09, 2013 at 1:15 PM, updated August 09, 2013 at 1:21 PM
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on August 09, 2013 at 1:15 PM, updated August 09, 2013 at 1:21 PM
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Some commercial trucks fueled by electric batteries just got a little cheaper in certain parts of New York, thanks to a $9 million voucher program.
The program means to bring down prices of class 3 to 8 trucks in 30 counties that did not meet federal clean air standards. That includes Onondaga County, and other counties in Western New York, the Capital Region and the New York City area, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced the vouchers today.
The vouchers from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority are available beginning today, according to the governor's news release. Companies, non-profits and governments can use the vouchers -- up to $60,000 -- to purchase electric buses and trucks. The trucks eligible for the program include large pick-ups, delivery vans, box trucks, buses, tractor trailers, garbage trucks, and construction vehicles such as cement and dump trucks.
"The Truck Voucher Incentive Program is another important step that New York State is taking to meet clean air standards," Cuomo said in a news release. "This program highlights the state's commitment to developing, promoting, and implementing new measures that lower emissions and reduce our carbon footprint. By focusing on advanced transportation technologies, including electronic and hybrid vehicles, we can provide cleaner communities in which to live and work."
The money comes from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program. The vouchers will be available from qualified vendors, including
AMP Trucks Inc., Boulder Electric Vehicle, Electric Vehicles International and Smith Electric Vehicles. Those vendors will receive the vouchers and pass on the full incentive in a lower vehicle price to buyers.
AMP Trucks Inc., Boulder Electric Vehicle, Electric Vehicles International and Smith Electric Vehicles. Those vendors will receive the vouchers and pass on the full incentive in a lower vehicle price to buyers.
Cuomo today also announced a $10 million alternative fuels voucher fund for New York City. Those vouchers can apply toward compressed natural gas, hybrid-electric vehicles and retrofitting diesel engines with emission control devices. The New York City vouchers will be rolled out in late August and September.
Contact Teri Weaver at: tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.
