California Commercial EV Incentives for 2026

The short version

Two state programs, HVIP and the California Clean Fuel Reward, pay toward new zero-emission trucks at the point of sale. Both accept leases.
On a Class 2b–7 vehicle you can use one program or the other, not both. Class 8 trucks can combine them.
Standard HVIP is closed for now and expected to reopen by the end of 2026. Its Public Fleet and Drayage categories are open.
The federal 45W commercial clean vehicle credit and the 30C charger credit have ended for new purchases.
Most big utility fleet-charging programs have stopped taking new applications. Check yours before you budget for it.

Incentive amounts by vehicle class

Both state programs pay by gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), not by price. The figures below are per vehicle. HVIP’s small-business amounts are much higher than its base amounts, which matters if you run a small fleet.

Point-of-sale amounts per new zero-emission vehicle, as of November 15, 2026
Weight class	GVWR	Typical vehicles	HVIP (base)	HVIP (small business)	Clean Fuel Reward
Class 2bFull-size cargo vans	8,501–10,000 lb	Full-size cargo vans	$7,500	$9,000	Public fleets only
Class 3Heavy vans, cutaways	10,001–14,000 lb	Heavy vans, cutaways	$15,000	$40,000	$15,000
Class 4–5Step vans, box trucks	14,001–19,500 lb	Step vans, box trucks	$60,000	$130,000	$60,000
Class 6–7Larger box trucks	19,501–33,000 lb	Larger box trucks	$85,000	$160,000	$85,000
Class 8Tractors, heavy trucks	Over 33,000 lb	Tractors, heavy trucks	$120,000	$330,000	$120,000

HVIP pays more for drayage trucks: $75,000 for Class 4–5, $106,250 for Class 6–7 and $150,000 for Class 8.

HVIP: the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project

HVIP is the California Air Resources Board’s long-running truck voucher program, administered by CALSTART. You don’t apply for it yourself. An HVIP-approved dealer requests the voucher, and the amount comes off the price at the point of sale. Funding is first come, first served.

Who counts as a small business

A fleet with 20 or fewer vehicles over 8,500 lb GVWR and, for private companies, no more than $15 million in annual revenue. Small-business vouchers are capped at five per purchaser, ever, so use them on the vehicles where they count most.

Stacking limits

Private fleets can cover up to 90% of a vehicle’s cost with combined public funding; public fleets can reach 100%. HVIP is always applied last, after other funding.

Current status

As of November 15, 2026, standard HVIP is closed and CALSTART says it aims to reopen by the end of 2026. The Public Fleet and Drayage categories are open. The state’s 2026–27 funding plan includes $135 million for HVIP, so expect another round, and expect it to go quickly.

The California Clean Fuel Reward for trucks

The Clean Fuel Reward used to be a passenger-car rebate. In May 2026 the state extended it to medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission trucks, with rewards paid at the dealer from June 26, 2026. It’s funded through the Low Carbon Fuel Standard: $250 million for 2026 and more than $1 billion planned through 2030.

Who qualifies

Your business needs at least one year of operations in California and a USDOT number. The vehicle has to stay registered in California for three years and be used at least 50% of the time in the state.

Class 2b vans

Class 2b rewards are limited to public fleets subject to Advanced Clean Fleets. A private business leasing a Class 2b cargo van gets nothing from this program, which leaves HVIP as its only state voucher, and standard HVIP is closed for now. If you’re choosing between a 2b van and a Class 3 vehicle, that difference is worth pricing out.

Funding windows

Money is released in windows rather than all at once. The first truck window ran from June 26 to July 31, 2026. Check the program site for the current window before you count on a reward in a lease quote.

How incentives work when you lease

Both state programs accept leases. Leasing doesn’t mean handing the incentive to the lessor, as long as the deal is written properly.

For HVIP, the dealer has to submit the executed lease and lease schedule showing that the voucher reduced the leased price. Your business is named as the lessee, and the vehicle’s home address is yours. Leasing and rental companies can also claim a base voucher through HVIP’s Innovative Small e-Fleet (ISEF) pathway without naming the end customer, and rental or fleet-management companies serving small fleets have to use ISEF rather than standard small-business vouchers.

Questions to ask any lessor

Which program is the incentive coming from, and in which funding round?
Where exactly does it show up: the capitalized cost, the monthly payment, or both?
What happens to the incentive if the lease ends early or the vehicle leaves California?
If the program runs out of money before delivery, what happens to my price?

When we price an electric fleet lease, we check every program on this page against your fleet size, vehicle classes and location, and show you where the money lands in your lease.

Federal tax credits: what ended

45W, the commercial clean vehicle credit, doesn’t apply to vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. “Acquired” means a binding written contract and a payment by that date. A vehicle acquired in time can still claim the credit when it’s placed in service later.

30C, the alternative fuel refueling property credit, covered chargers. It doesn’t apply to equipment placed in service after June 30, 2026.

Some dealer and vendor pages still advertise both credits. If a quote relies on either one, ask how.

Charging incentives from utilities and the state

Utility money for fleet charging has dried up over the past year. Here’s where the main programs stood as of November 15, 2026:

SCE Charge Ready Transport: no longer accepting applications. Existing participation agreements must be signed by both parties by December 31, 2026.
PG&E EV Fleet: fully subscribed. PG&E’s EV Advisory Services are still available at no cost. Under Electric Rule 29, PG&E pays for the service extension on its side of the meter; customer-side work and chargers are excluded.
SDG&E Power Your Drive for Fleets: the program page still lists incentives, so confirm availability with SDG&E. Rule 45 closed to new applications on August 20, 2025, and new service now goes through Rule 16.
LADWP: commercial charger rebates are closed, with a revised medium- and heavy-duty program planned for November 2026. The previous program accepted proof of a vehicle lease.
SMUD: incentives for non-public DC fast chargers of roughly $7,500 to $60,000 per connector, depending on power and equity status.
EnergIIZE: all funding lanes are closed.
CALeVIP and Fast Charge California: aimed at publicly accessible fast chargers, not private depots.
Low Carbon Fuel Standard: depot chargers can generate LCFS credits for the charger owner or a party it designates.

Grid connection is usually the slow part. An evaluation of the medium- and heavy-duty programs at PG&E, SCE and SDG&E found a median of 983 days from application to energized chargers. Our depot charging service starts the utility application before vehicles are ordered for exactly that reason.

Common questions

Can I combine HVIP and the California Clean Fuel Reward?

Not on a Class 2b–7 vehicle. You choose one program per vehicle. Class 8 trucks can combine them, and total public funding on any vehicle is capped at 90% of its cost for private fleets.

Does HVIP work on a leased truck?

Yes. The dealer submits the executed lease and lease schedule showing that the voucher reduced the leased price, and your business is named as the lessee.

Is the 45W commercial clean vehicle credit still available?

Only for vehicles acquired by September 30, 2025, meaning a binding written contract and a payment by that date. Vehicles acquired later don’t qualify.

Can a private business get the Clean Fuel Reward on a Class 2b cargo van?

No. Class 2b rewards are limited to public fleets subject to Advanced Clean Fleets. For a private business, HVIP is the only state voucher route for a Class 2b van.

Is HVIP open right now?

As of November 2026, standard HVIP is closed and CALSTART says it aims to reopen by the end of 2026. The Public Fleet and Drayage categories are open.

Sources

Official program pages we checked for this guide. Figures and program status can change quickly, so confirm with the source before you sign anything.

This guide is general information for California fleet operators, not legal, tax or financial advice.

California commercial EV incentives,
explained for 2026.