Langley, British Columbia— The BC Trucking Association (BCTA) is pleased to announce the addition of auxiliary power units (APUs) to the list of approved equipment eligible for incentives under the CleanBC Heavy-duty Vehicle Efficiency (HDVE) Program.
APUs options include conventional diesel, electric and electric equipped with solar panels. An APU is a device that provides power for services like appliances, heat and air conditioning in truck-tractor cabs and sleepers that would otherwise come from engine idling. These devices can also assist in starting the engine in extremely cold climates by maintaining battery voltage and engine coolant temperature.
The HDVE Program Incentives application form is now available on bctrucking.com, for submission starting February 3, 2020.
“BCTA applauds the Province for responding to feedback from industry and making APUs available for incentives through the CleanBC Heavy-duty Vehicle Efficiency Program,” says Dave Earle, BCTA president and CEO. “Long-haul companies experience the greatest advantages from equipment like trailer side skirts that work best on highway. But there are many situations, such as with log haulers, where a driver might need to idle the truck engine to stay warm in cab. Cutting out idling altogether can have a huge impact on reducing emissions.”
The Province of British Columbia, responding to input from trucking companies, approved the addition of APUs to the list of fuel-efficiency technology covered by the program, based on significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), from the use of this equipment. On average, a heavy-duty commercial vehicle idles for about 1,800 hours per year, consuming 4 litres of diesel fuel per hour or about 7,200 litres annually. At that rate, one heavy-duty truck generates 18,590 kg of CO2 emissions per year just from engine idling, which is equivalent to the total amount produced, on average, by four passenger vehicles in one year.
According to US data on heavy-truck idling, APUs can help reduce CO2 emissions from idling by approximately 60-70 percent[1] – that’s about 11,000 kg of CO2 emissions, equivalent to removing 2.4 passenger vehicles off BC’s roads.
CleanBC HDVE Program Incentives offer 30 to 50 percent in rebates on the cost of approved fuel-efficiency equipment, to a maximum of $10,000 per vehicle or $100,000 per fleet. APUs are eligible for the following:
- Diesel/conventional APU – up to 30 percent of the cost of the device and its installation, to a cap of $4,000 per device
- Electric APU – up to 50 percent of the cost of the device and its installation, to a cap of $6,000 per device
- Electric APU paired with solar panel – up to 50 percent of the cost of the device and its installation, to a cap of $7,000 per device
In order to apply for CleanBC HDVE Program Incentives, trucking companies must meet a number of prerequisites, including completion of the free, one-day CleanBC HDVE Program Course. Sessions are scheduled in Langley (January 15 and 29) and Prince George (January 22).
Additional resources
- Who can take part and how to register for the course: Langley courses OR Prince George course.
- CleanBC HDVE Program Guide, with an updated list of eligible fuel-efficiency equipment.
- CleanBC HDVE Program Incentives application form (see the Program Guide for details on how to apply).
- More information on CleanBC: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/
BCTA is accepting CleanBC HDVE Program Incentives applications from February 3 to 21, 2020, and will review all applications submitted in order to ensure that incentives are distributed across provincial regions as well as motor carrier types and fleet size, including owner-operators. Eligible carriers are strongly encouraged to sign up to attend a CleanBC HDVE Program Course session as soon as possible.
Long-Haul Truck Idling Burns Up Profits, US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, August 2015 (calculated from the amount of fuel used during idling by a truck engine vs a diesel powered APU, cited in the table on page 3).
