Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program

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About the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program

The Inflation Reduction Act invests $1 billion to replace existing non-zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, support zero-emission vehicle infrastructure, and to train and develop workers.

At least $400 million will be used to fund projects serving communities located in an area in nonattainment with the  National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The EPA is offering funding to eligible recipients to replace existing non-zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles with eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles. To support zero-emission vehicle adoption and deployment, funding may also be used for:

  • zero-emission vehicle refueling infrastructure;
  • workforce development and training; and
  • project implementation costs.

The EPA has announced a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in April 2024, which offered up to $932 million in funding for eligible clean heavy-duty vehicles. The application period closed at 11:59PM (ET) on July 25, 2024. The EPA anticipates notifying selectees by November 2024 and awarding the grants by February 2025.

Notice of Funding Opportunity - CLOSED

The EPA anticipates awarding up to $932 million in competitive grant funding under the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity. The program is soliciting applications nationwide for a grant competition to fund the replacement of existing non-zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles with zero-emission Class 6 and 7 heavy-duty vehicles.

All electronic application packages were due to the EPA through Grants.gov no later than Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 11:59PM (ET) to be considered for funding.

Important Dates

Activity Date
Notice of Funding Opportunity Opened Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Webinar: Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program: Overview and How to Apply Presentation Slides (pdf) (996.22 KB, April 30, 2024) Tuesday, April 30, 2024, at 3:00 PM (ET)

Webinar: Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (pdf) (2.4 MB, June 17, 2024)

 Monday, June 17, 2024, at 3:00 PM (ET)
Final Date to Submit Questions Monday, July 8, 2024
Final Posting of Q&A Document Friday, July 19, 2024
NOFO Closed Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET
Anticipated Notification of Selection November 2024
Anticipated Awards December 2024

Application Documents

The 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Programs NOFO included information on how to prepare and submit an application package. All application packages must have been received by 11:59 PM (ET) on Thursday, July 25, 2024. via Grants.gov in order to be considered for EPA funding. 

Application Reference Material

*The intent of the School Board Awareness Certification and Electric Utility Partnership Template listed as supplemental application forms for the CHDV Grant Program is to ensure awareness of all parties involved in the potential new bus project. These documents are not binding, meaning that applicants do not need to complete a full utility analysis or otherwise fully commit to proceeding with the potential new bus project prior to being selected for funding. For the School Board Awareness Certification, an authorized representative may include, for example, the Superintendent or their representative, who could sign the form after notifying an appropriate person at the Board of the application for the potential new bus project. This early communication is meant to provide notice and the EPA fully expects that grant awardees and their appropriate school board will have additional communications as needed as part of the award acceptance process. If applicants are unable to complete the cost estimate, scope of utility upgrades, and/or time estimate on the required Electric Utility Partnership Template by the application deadline, but have been able to complete the rest of the template, including all signatures, a partially completed form can be submitted with the intent to complete the form by award notification, if selected.

If an applicant has not received a response from their local utility(ies) after repeated attempts to discuss the Utility Partnership Template, then they may submit the document with signatures from all parties involved in the application except for the utility, with the understanding that there will be continued outreach with the utility after the application deadline. During application review, the EPA may reach out to request an updated copy of this form that includes all required signatures. The EPA expects all the appropriate signatures to be present at the time of award, and omission of these signatures may compromise an applicant’s selection status. The applicant should also email the CHDV Helpline with the following information: name of the utility, name of utility point of contact they’ve been working with (or attempting to work with), and information on when the applicant attempted to contact the utility about the Partnership Template with no response.

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities and costs for the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles grant program include:

  • The incremental cost of replacing a non-zero-emission Class 6/7 heavy-duty vehicle with an eligible Class 6/7 zero-emission vehicle
  • The purchase and installation of refueling infrastructure that will support vehicles replaced under this program
  • Driver/mechanic training related to the maintenance and operation of new technologies, and vehicle warranties
  • Costs directly related to the implementation, management, and oversight of the project, including recipient and subrecipient personnel and benefits, contractual services, consulting on vehicle deployments, travel, supplies, and indirect costs

Eligible Applicants

The following entities are eligible to apply under the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program:

  • States, including U.S. territories
  • Municipalities, including public school districts
  • Indian Tribes
  • Nonprofit school transportation associations

Note that while third party contractors, such as transportation service providers and vehicle and charging equipment manufacturers, are not eligible to apply directly, they may still participate in the CHDV Grant Program by encouraging potential applicants to apply and working with grantees through the bidding process after grants are awarded.

Eligible Vehicles

Eligible vehicles under the 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program include:

  • Class 6 and Class 7 school buses
  • Other non-school bus Class 6 and Class 7 vehicles, including (but not limited to):
  • Refuse Haulers/Dump Trucks
  • Class 6/7 Transit Buses
  • Delivery Trucks
  • Utility Trucks
  • Bucket Trucks
  • Other Box Trucks

Eligible Existing Vehicles to be Replaced

To be eligible for replacement, existing vehicles must:

  • Be a Class 6 or Class 7 heavy-duty vehicle with Gross Vehicle Weight Rating between 19,501 lbs to 33,000 lbs.
  • Be fully operational at the time of application submission. An operational vehicle should be able to start, move, and have all necessary parts to be operational.
  • Be an engine model year 2010 or older diesel-powered vehicle that will be scrapped if selected for funding. If a fleet has no eligible EMY 2010 or older diesel-powered vehicles, the fleet can either:
    1. Scrap an EMY 2010 or older non-diesel internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered vehicle;
    2. Scrap, sell, or donate an EMY 2011 or newer diesel or non-diesel ICE-powered vehicle; or
    3. Move an EMY 2011 or newer diesel or non-diesel ICE-powered vehicle to a “reduced service” fleet and scrap an EMY 2010 or older reduced-service vehicle in its place.

Additional requirements for vehicles being replaced through the School Bus Sub-Program include that vehicles must:

  • Be a Class 6 or Class 7 school bus that has provided bus service to a public school district for at least three days/week on average during the 2022/2023 school year at the time of applying, excluding emergency-related school closures.

Additional requirements for vehicles being replaced through the Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program include that vehicles must:

  • Have accumulated at least 7,000 miles/year during each of the two years prior to replacement.
    • The mileage of two vehicles may be combined to reach 7,000 miles/year where two or more vehicles will be replaced by a single vehicle.
    • For Tribal and territory applicants, the mileage minimum is 5,000 miles/year during each of the two years prior to replacement.
    • If a vehicle does not meet the mileage requirement, the applicant can demonstrate that the vehicle has idled at least 500 hours/year during the two years prior to replacement.

Eligible New Replacement Vehicles

To be eligible as a replacement, new vehicles must:

  • Be a zero-emission vehicle
  • Be a Class 6 or Class 7 heavy-duty vehicle
  • Be an engine model year 2023 or newer that is certified to conform with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
  • Be ordered only after receiving official notification of award for EPA funding
  • Be purchased, not leased or leased to own
  • Not be manufactured or retrofitted with, or otherwise have installed, a power unit or other technology that creates air pollution within the vehicle
  • Not be purchased or otherwise subsidized with other federal grant funds

Vehicle Minimums per Application

  Vehicle Minimum
School Bus Sub-Program 10
Vocational Vehicles Sub-Program 3

Build America, Buy America

Note: For this funding opportunity, it has been determined that school buses are not subject to Build America, Buy America provisions. The EPA will continue to provide further guidance on which projects are subject to BABA provisions and will work with grantees to support implementation as necessary. Learn more about BABA as it relates to EPA programs on the EPA BABA page.

Eligible Infrastructure

Electric Charging Infrastructure

Eligible electric infrastructure is limited to installations and upgrades behind the electric meter. This can include, but is not limited to, charging equipment (such as alternating current Level 2 charging equipment, direct-current fast charging equipment, or vehicle-to-grid enabled equipment); design and engineering; installation costs such as trenching, wiring, and electrical upgrades, labor, and permitting; and related intelligent equipment and software designed to monitor vehicle and infrastructure performance (such as telematics or charge management software).

  • EPA funds must not be used for any infrastructure costs associated with work on the utility’s side of the electrical meter.
  • All AC Level 2 charging infrastructure purchased under this program must be EPA ENERGY STAR certified at the time of purchase. The EPA strongly recommends that all other charging infrastructure funded under this program be listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. The EPA also strongly encourages recipients to consider long-term fleet electrical needs when installing charging equipment. Installing additional electrical capacity on the customer side of the meter to support future charging needs (e.g., purchasing and running additional electrical conduit during trenching and wiring upgrades) is an allowable use of funds.
  • All electricians installing, operating, or maintaining EVSE are required to be certified from the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program, or another program approved by the EPA in consultation with the Department of Labor and Department of Transportation. For projects requiring more than one electrician, at least one electrician must meet the requirements above. Recipients should request and maintain proof of EVITP certification from their electricians for purposes of project audits.
  • Applicants should be aware that Build America, Buy America requirements apply to eligible vehicle charging infrastructure equipment.

Fueling Infrastructure

Eligible fueling infrastructure includes fueling infrastructure for new hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, including, but not limited to, storage tanks, liquid and gaseous pumps and vaporizers, compressors, heat exchangers, chillers, piping and pipelines within the relevant facility, and high-pressure dispensers (including hose, nozzles, and meters) needed to fuel the new hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles funded under the project.

  • Applicants should be aware that Build America, Buy America requirements apply to eligible vehicle fueling infrastructure equipment.

Please refer to the 2024 CHDV NOFO (pdf) (880.36 KB, April 2024) for specific information about this competition.

Questions and Answers

The EPA has provided answers to Frequently Asked Questions by periodically updating the document below. If you have additional questions, please email [email protected]. Information regarding this NOFO obtained from sources other than [email protected] may not be accurate. Please type “Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles NOFO Question” in the subject line of your email. For questions submitted by July 8, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET, EPA made every effort to respond by the application deadline; EPA will continue to respond to questions as needed and post updated versions of the Q&A document immediately below. 

Questions and Answers: 2024 Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (pdf) (696.03 KB, September 18, 2024) ​​​​​

Webinars

The list of webinars below are related to the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program.

Additionally, EPA’s Clean School Bus Program has a variety of past and upcoming webinars that may be relevant for Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant applicants.

Event Date Host Event Name Location
2024/09/25 at 1:00 PM ET EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Electrification Process including a Step-by-Step Guide for New Adopters with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Zoom (Register here)
2024/08/28 at 1:00 PM ET EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Building a Case For ESBs in your Fleet including Benefits, Total Cost Of Ownership with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Zoom (Register here)
2024/07/24 at 1:00 PM ET EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Battery Overview, Recycling/End-of-Life Options, and Warranties with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Zoom (Register here)
2024/06/18  EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Differences Between ESBs and ICE Buses, ESB Maintenance, and Bus RFP Best Practices with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Coming Soon
2024/06/17 EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program: Grant Forms and FAQs
2024/05/22 Equipment Overview, Future Proofing, EVSE RFPs, and Best Practices with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation EPA’s Clean School Bus Program
2024/04/30 At 3:00 PM ET EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program: Overview and How to Apply

Application Process

Applicants were required to submit applications electronically to the EPA through Grants.gov. The Grants.gov registration process required that your organization have a Unique Entity Identifier (previously known as the DUNS number) and a current registration with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov); the process of obtaining both could take a month or more for new registrants.

Potential applicants without a Grants.gov account are encouraged to initiate the Grants.gov registration process ahead of the release of the Notice of Funding Opportunity since the registration process can take a month or more.

Organizations applying to this funding opportunity must also have an active the System for Award Management registration. If you have never done business with the Federal Government, you will need to register your organization in SAM.gov. If you do not have a SAM.gov account, then you will create an account using the government sign in service 1 (login.gov) to complete your System for Award Management registration. The registration is FREE. The process for entity registrations includes obtaining Unique Entity ID (UEI), a 12-character alphanumeric ID assigned an entity by SAM.gov, and requires assertions, representations and certifications, and other information about your organization. Please review the Entity Registration Checklist for details on this process. It is recommended to begin the System for Award Management registration process prior to applying to this grant competition; registration may take more than a month to complete.

Applicants with existing Grants.gov accounts are encouraged to check the status of your System for Award Management account and address any account issues in advance of applying.

Please note that System for Award Management registrations do expire, and inactive accounts must re-register to be able to submit an application. If you have done business with the Federal Government previously, you can check your entity status using your government issued UEI to determine if your registration is active. The System for Award Management requires you renew your registration every 365 days to keep it active. Applicants must ensure that all registration requirements are met in order to apply for this opportunity through Grants.gov and should ensure that all such requirements have been met well in advance of the application submission deadline.

For more information on the registration requirements that must be completed in order to submit an application through Grants.gov, click on “Applicants” on the top of the page, and then click the “Get Registered” link on the page. Contact the Federal Service Desk for help with your System for Award Management account, to resolve technical issues or chat with a help desk agent: (866) 606-8220. The Federal Service desk hours of operation are Monday – Friday 8am – 8pm ET.

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Last updated on October 2, 2024