Frequently Asked Questions

General

Why does this program exist?

The New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP) is a vehicle replacement program aimed to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in medium and heavy-duty truck and bus fleets throughout New York State.

By increasing the use of cleaner vehicle technologies, the program reduces harmful vehicle emissions, including greenhouse gases, and lessens the transportation sector’s dependence on petroleum in New York.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) developed NYTVIP to reduce the costs of medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs to help fleets, leased vehicle operators and vehicle owner-operators switch to vehicles that are better for the environment and often more cost effective.

What is a voucher incentive?

Voucher incentives facilitate fleet purchases of new zero-emission trucks and buses by reducing the upfront prices of these vehicles. By bringing prices closer to parity, vouchers make it more affordable for fleets to switch to cleaner technologies that often cost less to operate than a diesel vehicle.

A vehicle purchaser or lease operator (Vehicle Purchaser) agrees to purchase an eligible vehicle from a vendor/dealer (Contractor) qualified to sell that vehicle through the Program, and the Contractor deducts the value of the voucher from the total sale price. Once the Vehicle Purchaser has:

1. Taken delivery of the new truck or bus 
2. Registered and fully paid for the BEV (excluding the voucher amount)
3. Scrapped (i.e., verifiably destroyed the original engine and vehicle) a corresponding old diesel vehicle
4. Contractor has supplied all required documentation to verify all steps of the process, NYSERDA reimburses the Contractor for the full voucher amount.

Where does funding from this program come from?

The source of funding is New York State’s allocations from the 2016 Volkswagen settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

What classes of vehicles are currently included in this program?

NYTVIP currently includes funding for class 4-8 vehicles.

Who is responsible for submitting the Voucher Application?

When a Vehicle Purchaser is ready to purchase an eligible vehicle from an approved Contractor, the Contractor submits a Voucher Application to reserve a voucher for that specific vehicle purchase.

Is there a maximum number of vehicles that each fleet or operator can purchase through NYTVIP?

With the exception of Transit Entities (effective June 1, 2022), no Vehicle Purchaser or Vehicle Operator may receive more than 50% of the total available funds under each of the funding categories in the NYTVIP.  If additional funding is added to the Program, a Vehicle Purchaser or Vehicle Operator who has already met this threshold may request vouchers for up to 25% of the new total funding category amount. 

Must Scrappage Vehicles be driven to the scrappage facility?

A scrappage vehicle can be either driven or towed to a pre-approved scrapyard. However, in all cases the vehicle must arrive at the scrappage facility with chassis attached, engine intact, in drivable condition and with vehicle registration still valid. If the vehicle is driven to the scrapyard, this action satisfies the ‘drivable condition’ requirement. If the vehicle is towed, program applicants must submit a video to the Voucher Help Center showing the vehicle being started and moving both forwards and backwards.

Which party is responsible for submitting the reporting requirements?

Per the Terms and Conditions, reporting is required for three years and will be submitted by the Vehicle Purchaser. Vehicle Usage Report will be submitted through a spreadsheet.

Failure to meet the reporting requirements may result in NYSERDA reclaiming voucher funds and/or barring Fleets from applying for additional funding.

Are there plans to include fuel cell vehicles in NYTVIP?

Class 4-8 hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are eligible under Program funding in both Truck and Transit Bus categories.

Are gasoline or compressed natural gas engines eligible for scrappage?

Only vehicles with diesel engines model year 2009 and older are eligible for scrappage.

Can I use NYTVIP vouchers in combination with other funding?

NYTVIP vouchers may only be combined with additional competitive funding sources to equal a maximum of 100% of the incremental cost of the replacement vehicle. NYTVIP vouchers can be combined with regular, noncompetitive federal funding (e.g., FTA Formula Grant 5307 and 5311 programs) that fund ordinary vehicle replacement.  Low-No funds (FTA 5339(c)) cannot be used in combination with the NYTVIP voucher; however, they can be used for other vehicles purchased as part of a fleet’s electrification.

When submitting a voucher application, Contractors should indicate whether their customer plans to combine NYTVIP funding with other funding sources, and if so, which programs.

Note: For the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) non-competitive grant program offered through the U.S. EPA, NYTVIP funds can only be used for the voluntary match to receive the bonus funds. NYTVIP funds cannot be used for the mandatory matching funds portion of the program. Similarly, NYTVIP funding cannot be combined with funding from the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates program offered by U.S. EPA for the same vehicle(s). 

NYTVIP funds cannot be combined with funds from the NYSERDA Clean Green School funding opportunity to reduce the price of a bus by more than the maximum voucher amount.  More information on that program is available on NYSERDA's Funding Opportunity page.

Is there funding for charging infrastructure though NYTVIP?

Currently there is no funding for electric vehicle supply equipment through NYTVIP. However, in November 2023 the New York Public Service Commission made released revised funding levels and allocated over $885 million in utility EV infrastructure make-ready funding  available statewide to medium- and heavy-duty fleets that have received or are pursuing vehicle incentives. For more information, visit your local utility’s make ready program website:

• Central Hudson
• Con Edison
• National Grid
• NYSEG
• Orange & Rockland 
• Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E)

Are taxes included in the voucher amount?

A vehicle’s pre-tax price is used to determine the incremental cost and the voucher amount. A vehicle purchaser is required to pay any taxes based on the full vehicle amount, not the amount after the voucher has been applied.

Manufacturers

Which vehicle types are eligible for funding through NYTVIP?

A vehicle must be a Class 4-8 battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a Class 4-8 hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to be eligible. Personal passenger vehicles are not eligible for Program funding. The vehicle and chassis must be new and used vehicles are not eligible.

The vehicle drive train, including applicable battery pack, must be covered by a manufacturer warranty. Prior to approving a vehicle model to the list of eligible vehicles posted on the Program Website, NYSERDA may request that the manufacturer provide copies of representative vehicle and/or battery warranties and a description of the manufacturer’s plans to provide warranty and routine vehicle service.

As of April 1, 2022, plug in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), hybrid vehicles (HEV), compressed natural gas (CNG) and propane fueled vehicles are no longer eligible for funding through the NYTVIP.  This transition in the NYTVIP aligns the program with the recent adoption of the Advanced Clean Trucks rule and the New York State law  passed in 2021 setting a goal of 100 percent zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sales by 2045.

What is the process of approving vehicles for eligibility in the program?

See For Vehicle Manufacturers for information on vehicle eligibility.

Contractors

Who can be a Contractor?

A Contractor may be any of the following types of entities:

• A truck or bus dealership that has a written agreement with a medium and/or heavy-duty vehicle OEM, a valid business license for the past two years, an official dealer number and sells complete vehicles to fleets or vehicle owner-operators;
• An OEM that sells or leases complete vehicles directly to fleets or vehicle owner-operators;
• A truck or bus upfit/retrofit manufacturer that has a written agreement with a medium or heavy-duty EV OEM, and upfits or performs final utility equipment installations on those vehicles and sells the completed vehicle to a fleet or vehicle owner-operator; or
• The entity that sells the fully assembled and completed vehicle.

How do I apply to become an eligible Contractor in the Program?

See For Dealers: Contractor Eligibility for the steps to become an eligible Contractor.

How do I apply for and redeem a voucher?

See For Dealers: Voucher Application / Redemption for the steps to submit and redeem Voucher Applications.

Is there a list of all combined sources for contractors to share with customer?

Download the NYTVIP Implementation Manual detailing Program funding amounts.

A brief guide detailing all the required documentation needed from fleets to apply for vouchers is available: Purchaser Checklist [PDF].

Are vouchers reserved immediately once applications are submitted?

Funding is approved and set aside once a voucher application is approved by NYSERDA, not on submission. Vouchers are valid for 18 months with the option to apply for up to a six-month extension. The Vehicle Purchaser has a maximum of 24 months to purchase, take delivery, complete existing vehicle scrappage, and register the new vehicle.

If vouchers are not redeemed within 18 months, or 24 months with an approved extension, the funding will be returned to the Program and Contractors must reapply for the originally approved voucher funds.

Fleets

What fleets are eligible?

An eligible fleet is a commercial fleet, non-profit agency, or public fleet entity (excluding the federal government) that operates eligible vehicles that are domiciled in New York State.

Do I have to remove a vehicle from my fleet to purchase vehicles through this program?

To guarantee that voucher-supported vehicle projects result in material and verifiable emissions reductions and local air quality improvements, NYTVIP requires that voucher-supported vehicle purchases be accompanied by a corresponding scrappage of a vehicle with a diesel engine from 2009 or earlier.

Are leased vehicles included in this program?

Eligible vehicles purchased by a leasing or rental company and leased to an eligible fleet are allowable under the Program as long as the term of the vehicle lease is at least five (5) years from the date of Voucher Approval. More details on leasing under NYTVIP can be found in the Implementation Manual.

NYSERDA is aware of battery lease transactions for BEVs and will assess these transactions on a case-by-case basis for the time being.

Can I purchase an eligible vehicle from a Contractor of my choosing?

The Contractor you purchase the vehicle(s) through must first be approved by NYSERDA before it is able to participate in the program as an eligible Contractor.

Can I purchase a used vehicle through NYTVIP?

The program currently does not support the procurement of used vehicles.

Can I make modifications to the vehicle after purchase?

Retrofits, hardware or software modifications that can significantly impact the vehicle’s emissions characteristics are not permitted for five years from the date the vehicle enters into service. This provision does not apply to the installation of fuel-fired heaters, which are permitted in voucher-eligible BEV models but cannot be purchased using NYTVIP funding.

Which transit agencies can receive funding for bus replacements?

Class 4-8 Transit Bus incentives are currently available for the following 5 transit agencies. Voucher Applications must be submitted on or before August 18, 2024 to access transit funding.

• Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA)
• Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA)
• Rochester-Genesee Regional Transit Authority (RGRTA)
• Suffolk County Transportation
• Westchester County Bee-Line Bus System