The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the selection of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to receive $9,305,301 for the purchase of 32 zero-emission vehicles. This funding is part of the first-ever Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, established by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
This initiative aims to replace existing internal combustion engine heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission alternatives. It also supports building clean vehicle infrastructure and training workers in deploying these technologies. The projects are expected to reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles, create jobs, and improve air quality in affected communities.
"Thanks to President Biden, we are accelerating American leadership in developing clean technologies that address the impacts of climate change," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Together, the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant projects announced today will slash air pollution and enhance the country’s infrastructure for cleaner transportation solutions, creating good-paying jobs along the way."
EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore emphasized the program's impact on local communities: "Every American deserves clean air to breathe," she said. "Thanks to the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant program, communities throughout the Great Lakes region are receiving critical funding to improve local air quality and transition their vehicle fleets towards a cleaner and more sustainable future."
The Indiana project includes replacing 32 diesel school buses with electric ones and installing 16 DC fast charging units. Across America, over three million Class 6 and Class 7 vehicles emit pollutants associated with serious health problems like respiratory diseases. The grant program seeks to replace older vehicles with zero-emission models.
Nationwide, 70 applicants across various states have been selected for over $735 million in funding through this program. Proposed replacements include battery-electric trucks and a small number of hydrogen fuel cell transit buses.
These efforts align with President Biden's National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization and aim to provide significant benefits under his Justice40 Initiative targeting disadvantaged communities.
The EPA plans to finalize awards early next year after meeting legal requirements, with project implementation spanning two to three years depending on scope.
For more details on this initiative or updates on its progress, interested parties can visit EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program webpage or contact them via email at cleanhdvehicles@epa.gov.
