US EPA announces $1 billion in grants for clean heavy-duty vehicles

24 April 2024

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced the launch of the nearly $1 billion Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (CHDV) Grant Program to fund the replacement of certain heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles. Funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, the EPA will award competitive grants for projects that will reduce climate and air pollution from heavy-duty vehicles.

The 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will support the adoption and deployment of eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles. The program will also fund zero-emission vehicle fueling infrastructure and workforce development and training. There are over 3 million Class 6 and Class 7 vehicles in the USA, spanning a variety of vehicle types, including school buses, refuse haulers, and utility and delivery trucks.

The Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program will help advance the President’s commitment to environmental justice and the Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution, including air pollution, the EPA said in a news release.

The EPA is providing two separate sub-program competitions under a single Notice of Funding Opportunity:

• The School Bus Sub-Program for applicants replacing school buses.
• The Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program for applicants replacing non-school bus Class 6 and 7 vehicles—including box trucks, refuse haulers, dump trucks, street sweepers, delivery trucks, bucket trucks, and utility trucks.

The EPA anticipates approximately 70% of available funding will be for projects under the School Bus Sub-Program and approximately 30% of available funding will be for projects under the Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program.

Eligible applicants for both competitions include States, municipalities (including school districts), Indian Tribes, territories, and nonprofit school transportation associations. The deadline to apply is July 25, 2024.

The launch of the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program follows the recently announced award of nearly $1 billion for electric school buses, funded through the Infrastructure & Jobs Law.

Source: US EPA