NetZero Insider’s transportation coverage for this week featured reporting by John Stang on a new Washington state program that provides incentives for low- and moderate-income residents to purchase or lease electric vehicles.
The state will offer up to $9,000 for a three-year lease and up to $5,000 for the purchase of a new vehicle. These rebates are among the largest in the country and can be paired with federal rebates of up to $7,500 for new EVs. The program is funded to the tune of $45 million and will expire in June 2025.
Along with federal and state incentives, declining technology expenses are helping to lower overall costs for EVs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lithium-ion battery packs for EVs declined in cost by about 90% between 2008 and 2023.
In aircraft news, United Airlines announced it is purchasing an initial batch of 1 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Neste to use at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. This marks the first time a major U.S. airline has regularly relied on SAF at an airport outside of California.
In hydrogen news, the U.S. Army is testing a prototype fuel cell rescue truck with a purported 1,500-mile range.
Finally, a public transit advocate makes the case for increased funding for mass transit as a way to cut transportation emissions while also reducing barriers to transportation access.
All that and more in this week’s Intelligence Report:
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