The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has confirmed it will reopen its Innovative Small E-Fleet (ISEF) Set-Aside program, a component of the Clean Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), on October 21 with a total of $30.5 million in available incentives.
HVIP, which provides vouchers for point-of-sale discounts to help fleets and businesses in California purchase zero-emission and hybrid commercial trucks and buses, already officially reopened on September 9 with 171 eligible zero-emission vehicle models and individual vouchers of up to $420,000.
ISEF focuses specifically on small fleets with 20 or fewer vehicles and with less than $15 million in annual revenue. The program's vouchers can be used towards zero-emission vehicle rentals, leases, truck-sharing, and other unspecified "flexible agreements."
CARB has highlighted several changes to ISEF:
- Enhanced Voucher Levels: New small business voucher amounts take effect on September 22, 2025, for all requests.
- Purchase Plus: (Available when HVIP is closed) Combine straight purchases with pre-approved additional services. Services must be approved by CARB and the ISEF administrator before submitting requests.
- Residential Domicile: Small fleets using residential addresses must submit a commercial use letter to [email protected] with their voucher requests.
- Voucher Limits: Fleets may request up to five ISEF innovative vouchers per funding cycle, while Purchase Plus vouchers are limited to five per fleet (all-time total, not annually).
- Proof of Business Standing: Small fleet participants are required to be registered with the California Secretary of State for at least one year prior to voucher request. Alternate proof of business standing can be provided on a case-by-case basis, except under the Purchase Plus solution – which will follow HVIP straight purchase requirements.
To begin the application process, fleets must work with a provider listed in the ISEF Provider Directory to access vouchers.
