Home Refueling Appliance Buy-down Incentive Program Honda America

Light- and medium-duty natural gas vehicles (NGVs) have been used primarily by centralized fleets, and expanding the use of alternative fuel vehicles to the general consumer market will further reduce air pollution in the Basin. Market research indicates that a major concern of consumers owning alternative fuel vehicles is the availability of a fueling infrastructure. Similar market research has indicated that availability of a home refueling appliance (HRA) to the vehicle consumer market would broaden the consumer base for NGVs. The AQMD has funded the development and commercialization of an HRA that is now available to the consumer. Due to the extensive research development efforts, the initial rollout cost of the HRA is significantly more expensive than anticipated.  In April, the MSRC approved an HRA buy-down incentive program in an amount not to exceed $1,000 per unit for up to 400 CNG appliances. In May, the Board approved a program to match the MSRC buy-down incentive for the HRA to further incentivize consumer interest in alternative fuel vehicles. Specifically, a sole-source contract with American Honda Company will provide an additional $1,000 in incentive funding per HRA.