Nevada Introduces New Law to Lower Prices of Medium to Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks, Buses

Nevada introduced a new law that will incentivize the price upfront of medium to heavy-duty electric trucks and buses dedicated for business and public fleets. The Nevada Clean Trucks and Buses Incentive Program aims for gas or diesel-powered vehicle owners to switch to electric vehicles.

Introducing Nevada Clean Trucks and Buses Incentive Program

Nevada's Governor Joe Lombardo recently signed Assembly Bill 184 or the Nevada Clean Trucks and Buses Incentive Program. According to a report from The Nevada Independent, this will provide incentives for businesses and public organizations who currently own traditional trucks and buses to make them switch to electric counterparts.

The incentives will be based on its gross vehicle weight rating classes out of Nevada's provided incentives for seven classes. This will start from 2B, which has a base incentive of $20,000 up to the heaviest 8, which has a base incentive of $175,000. For instance, Tesla currently manufactures eight electric semi-trucks in Nevada, costing around $250,000 per unit.

As per Assembly Bill 184, a clean truck or bus means is equal to a medium-duty or heavy-duty vehicle that is powered by electricity stored in a battery produced by a hydrogen fuel cell and produces zero exhaust emissions. This law will accelerate the adoption of medium and heavy-duty electric buses, delivery vans, and more among businesses and public agencies.

Bundling Up Incentives

Additional incentives will also be given for certain categories that can be bundled with the base incentives. Electrek reported that this will include small businesses getting a 20% increase to the base incentives, independent truck owners getting a 33% increase, and school districts and charter schools getting a 20% increase.

Aside from this, disadvantaged small businesses will also be able to get a 5% increase in the base incentives. Among the disadvantaged small businesses are minority-owned businesses, veteran-owned, LGBTQ-owned, and woman-owned. The bill will fund the incentives with 35% of the money allotted to Nevada by the federal government's Carbon Reduction Program.

Nevada's Efforts

Nevada Conservation League's Deputy Director Christi Cabrera-Georgeson stated that these emissions are harmful to our health and climate. "By signing this forward-thinking law, Governor Lombardo is supporting Nevada's small businesses and public fleets in the transition to clean, electric vehicles, saving them money while helping to clean up the air and improve public health."

Gov. Lombardo also signed Assembly Bill 262 called the Clean Fleets Law. News 4 reported that this will help state agencies improve local air quality by providing additional electric and hybrid vehicles to their fleets. Through the AB262, they will also be able to save the state and taxpayers millions of dollars on gasoline and diesel fuels.

Nevada Public Health Association Policy Director John Packham stated that establishing both programs will reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and will protect the air the community breathes, given that it is now critical to improving it.