California HVIP — Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project
California Air Resources Board (CARB), administered by CALSTART
Up to $330,000 (small fleet)
Vouchers for clean fleet vehicles
HVIP provides point-of-sale discount vouchers that cut the upfront cost of qualifying zero-emission and hybrid medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses for California fleets and businesses. Funded by CARB (part of California Climate Investments) and administered by the nonprofit CALSTART, vouchers are applied at purchase through approved dealers — no waiting for a rebate — on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts. Base vouchers run up to $120,000 for a standard Class 8 battery-electric truck ($240,000 fuel cell), with enhanced 'small fleet/small business' vouchers reaching $330,000 for Class 8 BEV and $420,000 for Class 8 fuel cell. The program has redeemed roughly $1 billion in vouchers supporting 2,000+ fleets and 16,000+ vehicles, and is currently open.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- Up to $330,000 (small fleet)
- Realistic amount
- A small California fleet buying a Class 8 battery-electric truck can realistically capture a…
- Deadline
- Open — first-come, first-served while funding remains available.
- Status
- active
- States
- California
- Payment model
- advance
Who qualifies
- Fleet must operate the vehicle(s) in California
- Purchase or lease a qualifying zero-emission or hybrid truck/bus from the HVIP eligible vehicle catalog through an approved dealer
- Small fleet/small business enhanced voucher: 20 or fewer vehicles over 8,500 lbs GVWR domiciled anywhere globally, and (for private fleets) $15M or less in annual revenue
- Voucher reserved at point of sale on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts
- Maximum of 5 small-business vouchers per fleet (lifetime)
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Purchase or lease of a qualifying zero-emission or hybrid medium-/heavy-duty truck or bus
Ineligible expenses
- Vehicles not on the HVIP eligible vehicle catalog
- Charging/refueling infrastructure (covered by other programs, not the HVIP vehicle voucher)
- Vehicles not operated in California
How to apply
-
1
Select an eligible vehicle and approved dealer
Choose a qualifying zero-emission or hybrid truck/bus from the HVIP eligible vehicle catalog and work with an HVIP-approved dealer. Confirm whether you qualify for the small-fleet/small-business enhanced voucher.
~4 hrs
-
2
Dealer reserves the voucher
The approved dealer submits a voucher request on your behalf through the HVIP system. Vouchers are reserved first-come, first-served while funding is available.
~2 hrs
-
3
Apply the voucher at purchase
The voucher amount is deducted from the vehicle price at the point of sale — no waiting for a rebate. Provide fleet documentation (and small-fleet revenue/size proof if claiming the enhanced amount).
~2 hrs
The single biggest lever is the small-fleet/small-business enhanced voucher: a fleet of 20 or fewer heavy vehicles (and under $15M revenue for private fleets) gets $330,000 instead of $120,000 on the same Class 8 BEV — nearly triple. But you're capped at 5 small-business vouchers lifetime, so sequence your highest-cost vehicles first. Because it's first-come, first-served, line up your approved dealer and paperwork before a funding window opens.
Deadline & timing
Vouchers are reserved through approved dealers on a first-come, first-served basis and applied at point of sale. Funding rounds open and close as the budget is drawn down; HVIP is currently open. Small fleets are limited to 5 small-business vouchers lifetime.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.