Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that more than $20 million is available to New York fleets through a diesel truck and bus replacement program to help improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program, funded with $9 million of the state’s federal Volkswagen settlement and $11 million in federal dollars, aims to permanently remove older diesel trucks and replace them with cleaner trucks. Funding is also available to replace buses in certain geographic areas.

The program provides point-of-sale rebates to reduce the cost for businesses and municipalities to purchase electric vehicles or repower commercial trucks and buses. It reduces the incremental cost of purchasing clean trucks and buses by up to 95%.

Funding is available for electric vehicles, including hybrid-electric vehicles, as well as compressed natural gas and propane vehicles from Class 4 to 8. Fleets must also scrap a similar older diesel vehicle that is part of their fleet. Funding is also available for Class 3-8 battery-electric school, shuttle, and transit buses.

The announcement supports the governor’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. The Truck Voucher Incentive Program will continue to be administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of a partnership with DOT and DEC.

More information is available on the NYSERDA website.