Beginning next spring, the City of Chicago will roll out a fleet-focused incentive program intended to replace older diesel trucks with electric vehicles. A voucher applied to the vehicle purchase price at the point of sale will cover up to 60% of the incremental cost of the electric vehicle and will be determined by the size of the truck's battery pack.
‘This first-of-its-kind incentive program will make Chicago the leader in building a robust public and private electric truck fleet and dramatically increase the number of these trucks on Chicago's streets,’ said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
Both public and private fleets that operate in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties will be eligible for the program. The city will begin taking applications in the spring of 2013, and official say about 250 vouchers will be awarded.
‘By offering a voucher at the point of sale, rather than as a post-sale rebate, we hope that more companies will be encouraged to participate in the program,’ noted Gabe Klein, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation.
The program is being funded through the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. Approximately $15 million will be deployed.
